Choose Between Silicone and Saline Breast Implants
In 2010, breast augmentation plastic surgery was the most popular surgery in the United States. If you're a candidate for receiving breast implants, there are many decisions to be made. One of the most important decisions you will have to make is deciding between silicone and saline breast implants. There are positive and negative aspects to both, so it's important to weigh all your options before making a final decision. To learn how to choose between silicone and saline breast implants, follow these steps.
Steps
- Research the difference between silicone and saline breast implants.
- Realize that saline breast implants are filled entirely of saline. Saline is a mixture of salt and water placed inside a silicone shell at the time of surgery. A saline implant requires a small incision because the shell is inserted into the breast area and then filled with saline once inside.
- Understand that silicone breast implants are made with synthetic polymers. These polymers are thick and sticky, and placed in a silicone shell that closely resembles the feel of human fat. The incision for a silicone implant is larger than the incision for a saline implant because the silicone implant is filled before insertion into the body.
- Assess the potential health risks if an implant breaks or ruptures. Saline is absorbed into your body with no health risks. Silicone is also absorbed into your body and won't cause long-term health risks like breast cancer or connective tissue diseases, but could cause short-term pain to the breast area. In either instance, if there is a leak, the implant will need to be removed and can be replaced with a new implant during surgery.
- Decide how you want your breasts to look. Silicone implants have the look and feel of real breasts, and have a lower chance of creating ripples and/or wrinkles on the skin. Saline implants tend to look more stiff and unnatural than silicone implants, and have an increased tendency to create ripples and/or wrinkles on the skin.
- Take your age into consideration. Saline breast implants are available to women over the age of 18, while silicone breast implants are available to women over the age of 22. The reason for this difference in age is women who choose breast augmentation should be ready both physically and emotionally. While there are 18-year-old women that are as informed as those who are older, the ruling is that from your 18th birthday until your 22nd birthday, you are only able to choose saline implants. Both saline and silicone are available for women of any age seeking breast reconstructive surgery.
- Debate how much you want to spend. Silicone breast implants typically cost around $1,000 more than saline-filled implants.
Tips
- Many plastic surgeons offer free consultations for those interested in receiving breast implants. Discuss your concerns with the plastic surgeon, explain what you want to accomplish through the breast implants, and address potential health risks.
- Regardless of the type of implant you choose, be prepared to be swollen for 3 to 4 months after breast implant surgery.
Warnings
- Do not undergo surgery without first checking on the legitimacy of the doctor who's doing your surgery. Research the plastic surgeon you're interested in using. Ask to view some of their previous work and don't undergo surgery if you're not comfortable with the surgeon.
- Breast implants can inhibit breast feeding.
- Breast implants aren't usually covered under insurance.
- In most cases, saline and silicone breast implants don't last a lifetime. You will need to get them removed at some point to correct leaks or cosmetic issues. Typically, the time period is around 10 years before implants need to be replaced. There is potential for implants to last more than 30 years, but this isn't typical.
- A saline breast implant will noticeably deflate if it starts to leak, while a leak may not be noticeable with a silicone implant. This is a cause for concern with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). There is no evidence of long-term health issues because of silicone leaking into the body, but the FDA recommends you undergo an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) every 2 years to detect leaks.
- During breast cancer screenings, implants may complicate the process of noticing cancers because they obscure views during mammographies.
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