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HWN Suggests

Saline Breast Implants and Deflation

Years ago when patients said, “I want the safe breast implant,” my husband and I knew what they meant. Saline. Saline implants weren’t perfect. They rippled, they were heavy, and they felt like plastic bags filled with water (because they were). But they were filled with IV saline, a substance that was meant to be inside the body. Besides, old silicone gels could get hard. Rock hard. Compared with rocks, bags of water looked and felt really good. We used to use saline implants almost exclusively–not that we had a choice, with the old silicone gels being banned. Even in 2006 when the FDA exonerated the gels of a long list of crimes and misdemeanors, patients still wanted the “safe implants.”

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Featured

 Saline Replaces Silicone Implant

Reports show that currently Silicone Implants were used in 84% of patients while Saline Implants in only 16% of all breast augmentations. However, in my practice, I am seeing more women choosing saline implants when they are given a choice, based on safety concerns should a rupture occur and ease of replacement.

 Saline: The Underrated Implant

Basic saline breast implants have been around for more than fifty years, quietly doing a very nice job for women who want breast augmentation. Yet, all people talk about are “gummy bear” implants, teardrop implants, silicone cohesivity variants, yada, yada, yada. Poor saline breast implants often don’t even make it into the conversation. The question is, “Why do saline implants get so little respect, so little love?”. Why Don’t Most Patients Choose Saline Breast Implants? The answer to this question usually lies in a phenomenon called “rippling”. Rippling is, at a very basic level, movement of saline (salt water) inside the implant, because water has a very low viscosity. Think of the kind of sloshing you might have in a water balloon.

Articles of Interest

Pros & Cons: Saline vs. Silicone Implants

Saline implants are preferred by many because they are the less expensive option and require smaller incisions. While silicone implants are pre-filled, saline implants are filled after insertion. They can be tailored to your body more easily, and can be evened out post-operatively.

Saline Breast Implant Associated With Inflammatory Arthritis and Positive Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA): A Case Report

Breast implants, whether silicone or saline-filled, have a silicone shell and have been used for decades. Studies have shown an association between silicon with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, progressive systemic sclerosis, and vasculitis. However, controversy and inconsistency have been pervasive in the literature with respect to the role of breast implants in the development of autoimmune diseases.

Saline Breast Implant Pros and Cons

The key disadvantages of saline breast implants tend to involve the appearance and feel of the implants

Saline Versus Silicone Breast Implants: Is It Really a Dilemma?

My bias in favor of silicone implants primarily has to do with my unwavering commitment to creating natural appearing breast augmentation results. Silicone implants simply look and feel more natural than saline implants.

Saline vs. Silicone Breast Implants

So, is saline better? Or silicone? Is one safer than the other? McCarthy says there is no evidence to suggest that either saline or silicone implants are safer than the other.

Saline vs. Silicone Breast Implants: A Comprehensive Guide on How To Choose

Since they are filled with water, the shape of saline implants is often more round. Because of this, to achieve a natural look, saline is best suited to patients who have enough breast tissue to conceal this shape.

Saline vs. Silicone: New Twist on an Old Debate

Given our practice experience that saline implants commonly last twenty years or more, the choice boils down to best breast consistency (silicone) or the desire for maximum implant longevity with no need for MRI scans (saline). Baseline tissue volume and body habitus will otherwise favor one over the other.

Silicone or saline implants: Which is best for your breast augmentation?

"Both implants consist of a silicone shell with different interior fills," said Dr. Hamilton. "Modern silicone implants are filled with silicone cohesive gel, like a 'gummy bear'. The days of liquid silicone fills are gone. Silicone implants are by far the most popular today because they are lighter weight than saline and both feel and look more natural. Saline implants are filled with sterile salt water." While silicone implants were once avoided because of their potential for rupturing and leaking, they are by far the most preferred type of implant for women seeking out breast augmentation for two reasons.

Silicone vs. Saline Breast Implants – Which Is Better?

Both are approved by the FDA but which is better? Each has its own benefits and advantages. Each has its own potential liabilities and disadvantages. Neither is perfect. But both have their good points.