We are fortunate for the past few years that the FDA has reintroduced silicone implants as an available choice for cosmetic breast enhancement.  In my practice currently, I perform a close to fifty-fifty mixture of saline implants and silicone implants.   There are advantages and disadvantages to each, and I will discuss what I think is best for you and your goals during the consultation. 

Saline Implants

Saline implants are filled to size during the procedure.  As the name implies, they are filled with sterile saline fluid, which is just salt water.  Note that the outershell of the saline implant is made with silicone, but this is similar to many medical devices.  The difference is the filling, not the shell (which is solid and does not "leak")

Advantages:

Because they are filled during the procedure, I can roll them like a cigar  and insert them into either a submuscular or subglandular pocket via a very small incision.  In general, the saline implant will have a slightly smaller scar than the silicone implant.  This becomes more of a difference with implants greater than 300 cc.

They do not require monitoring.  If an implant leaks, and it is filled with saline, you will know it because the fluid will seep out over the next few days.  This is not true of silicone.  If a silicone implant shell ruptures, you may not know it until you get the breast examined with a study.

They are less expensive than silicone.  In general, they will be around 1,200 cheaper than the silicone implants due to the different costs charged by the manufacturer.

Salines can also be tailor adjusted during the surgery.  While you are asleep, I can adjust the implant cc by cc to get the closest match between the two breasts.  In silicone implants, I would have to order different sized implants, and they typically come in 25 cc intervals.

While I personally think that both saline and silicone implants are safe, if one of my patient is a "worrier", or is not convinced of the absolute safety of the silicone gel, than I would recommend saline implants.  There are enough stresses in today's life and I would rather not implant a product that cause my patients to worry more!  I want my patients to be stress free and beautiful.

Disadvantages of Saline

The feel is the greatest relative disadvantage.  I say relative because it is not that I think that saline feels bad, its just that I think (and most of my patients too) that silicone just feels better.  This becomes more of an issue the less native breast tissue you have and the bigger the size of the implant.  It is also more of an issue with the subglandular (over the muscle) placement of the implant.

 

Silicone Implants

Silicone implants have a silicone rubber shell that is filled with a fixed amount of silicone gel.  They were pulled from the market due to health worries.  After comprehensive evaluation of the evidence for the Association of Silicon Breast Implants with human health conditions, the Institute of Medicine concluded in "no definitive evidence linking breast implants to cancer, neurological diseases, neurological problems or other systemic diseases."  They were therefore reintroduced for use in 2006.

Advantages:

Feel, feel, feel.  I think saline implants feel fine.  But silicones feel better.  this is more of an issue with larger implants, and implants being used over the muscle.

Disadvantages:

slightly larger incision required because they come prefilled.  Only an issue if you are planning to go big, ie 300 cc or more.  overall this is a minor issue.  The scar is still small, and only slightly bigger than the saline.

Monitoring.  The FDA recommends you get every three year monitoring via MRI if you get a silicone implant.  this is because you would not necessarily be able to  tell if the implant ruptures.

Slightly more expensive than saline implants.   In general, they will be around 1,200 more expensive

Size comes typically come in 25 cc intervals.

Are you going to worry about silicone?  While I personally think that both saline and silicone implants are safe, if one of my patient is a "worrier", or is not convinced of the absolute safety of the silicone gel, than I would recommend saline implants.  There are enough stresses in today's life and I would rather not implant a product that cause my patients to worry more!  I want my patients to be stress free and beautiful.

 

 click here for breast fold scar

click here for around the nipple scar

click here  to return to breast implant information page.

click here for pricing