What’s the difference between saline and silicone breast implants?
I’m considering a boob job and was wondering whats the difference between silicone implants and saline implants? Which one is better? Which one is more natural?
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Breast Augmentation (Augmentation, Mammaplasty, Breast Enlargement or Breast Implants)Filter By Category
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American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Thank you for your clinical question. Saline implants have been available for
breast implant surgery for over 40 years.
A saline implant has a hard silastic shell that is filled with salt
water, also called saline. Physiologic
saline is the same solution that circulates in your blood. Saline can hold out the shape of the breast
implant, but is prone to ripples or visible edges that can be seen through
skin, implant deflation, the risk is about 2% per year per breast and does not
feel as natural as the cohesive silicone gel implant. Saline implants can come in round or tear
drop shapes and various sizes and can be placed in the breast pocket, which is
either under the gland or under the muscle through the armpit, through the
areola, under the breast or through the belly button.
A silicone implant is a hard silastic breast implant shell,
but the fill of the implant itself is a very cohesive silicone polymer. The silicone polymer is much like Jell-o also
called a gummy bear breast implant. The
advantage of the silicone gel implant is they feel much more natural, do not
tend to ripple and do not leak. The
breast implant is usually placed through an under the breast incision called
the inframammary incision that can be placed in the subglandular or the
submuscular pocket. Silicone cohesive
gel implants also come in teardrop and round shapes, textured and smooth.
Breast augmentation is one of the most common cosmetic
surgeries performed and women are generally extremely happy following the
procedure. I have always offered
three-dimensional computer imaging which is a very accurate photo station that
allows you to simply press a button and see what your breast shape, size and
contour will look like in relation to your chest, waist and hip. This “try before you buy” virtually
eliminates patients who are then dissatisfied with the breast implant size and
shape that was selected.
I have been performing breast augmentation for almost 20
years and find patients who are extremely happy with a carefully planned out
consultation and procedure.
These procedures are usually performed in approximately one
hour. Recovery time can be as little as
3 days and procedures can be performed under IV sedation.
I hope this information has been of some assistance and best
of luck.
For more information, please review the breast augmentation page.
To schedule a consultation simply fill out the online
consultation request form and a customer service representative will be with
your promptly.
R. Stephen Mulholland, M.D. Certified Plastic Surgeon. Yorkville, Toronto
American Board of Plastic Surgery
Transcribed from video attached:
All breast implants come with a silicone shell, so when we talk about the difference between saline and silicone implants, we’re really talking about what’s inside the implants. A saline implant is filled with water, or saline, which is actually salt-water. A silicone implant is filled with silicone jelly, but the shell of both of them is still a silicone shell. The real difference between them is just in how they feel. The silicone feels a little bit more natural than the saline implants, but both of them have pros and cons. This is something you can discuss with your surgeon and find out which works best for you.