Most saline implants will have some ripple over time.

David A. Dreyfuss, MD answers: Breast implants - is rippling normal?

I have a consultation in a couple of weeks for Saline breast implants but I recently read an article which said that most women with implants will develop some type of rippling. Is this true? Will this happen right away? I would rather not have implants at all if there is a good chance of rippling. I am a size B now and will be going to a full B/small C. I would rather do Silicone for the feel, but am scared to. Thank you.


David A. Dreyfuss, MD
13 months ago

Most patients with very minimal breast tissue will notice ripples with a saline implant. We always recommend silicone implants for women with very small breasts or thin skin on the breast. Even if the implant is behind the muscle, ripples can develop. Make sure that your physician overfills the saline implants. You should not be afraid to have silicone implants. The complication rate is no higher than saline implants. The biggest difference is that the incision is slightly larger with a silicone implant and the current FDA recommendation is to have a MRI within 5 years of your surgery to evaluate the implants.

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A: Rippling happens with saline implants

Bahram Ghaderi, MD
9 months ago

Saline implants will have some rippling. The questions is whether or not you can feel them or see them through your skin. The more tissue coverage you have the better it is. If you go behind the muscle with the implant, the better it is. If you don't go too big for you body so that your tissues don't stretch too much, the better it is. Also having the saline implant slightly overfilled will also help.

Silicone gel implants is also another answer to minimizing the rippling effect. Having used saline implants for many years until the silicone gel implants were approved in 2006, I can say that as long as you and your surgeon choose a proportionate implant size and respect the tissue coverage you have the rippling effect of the implant should not outweigh the enjoyment you will have with a more proportionate breast size. These are all questions to discuss with your surgeon during your consultation.

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