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Can I Change my Saline Implants to Silicone Six Months After the Initial Procedure?

asked 1 year ago by vanevane in Puerto Rico
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 328 times
Tags: exchange, timing

I had saline implants three months ago , Im planning to get them changed to silicone since I believe they look more natural and there is much less degree risk of rupture, and also Ive been told by a plastic surgeon that once you get silicone gel implants you dont have to get that surgery ever again , (unlike saline which you have to change every 10 years), is all this true?? Is it okay to have this kind of procedure 6 months after my first surgery?

15 answers to Can I Change my Saline Implants to Silicone Six Months After the Initial Procedure?

Risk of Saline vs. Silicone Breast Implant Deflation

The risk of breast implant deflation for saline and silicone implants is the same as reported by most breast implant manufacturers. The lifespan of saline and silicone breast implants are also the same. Saline and silicone breast implants can feel different and look different depending on the amount of native breast tissue present.

S. Sean Younai, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.beautifulself.com

Saline To Silicone

You can change your saline implants to silicone implants at 6 months. I personally believe that silicone implants look and feel better in most women. Breast implants(saline and silicone)are medical devices and not designed nor should they be reported to last forever. They may and will break down over time. If that happens you will have to talk to your surgeon about options that are available to you.

Douglas L. Gervais, MD
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

Breast surgery revision

It should be no problem to undergo the revisionary surgery at this point. However, you should be aware that all the risks associated with saline breast implants are the same with silicone gel implants (with the possible exception of rippling potential). Saline implants have some advantages over silicone implants. Silicone implant ruptures are harder to detect. When saline implants rupture, they deflate and the results are seen almost immediately. When silicone implants rupture, the... more

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.poustiplasticsurgery.com

Breast Implants

At 6 months you could have the surgery. I always caution my patients that just because you can, does not mean you should. If you have excessive rippling, or are unhappy with the appearance of your implants, or you are unhappy with the feel, you should seek the face-to-face advice of a board certified plastic surgeon. Make certain that you discuss all of the risks, as well as the benefits of any procedure with your surgeon. As stated before, nothing lasts forever and you will... more

Christine Sullivan, MD
Columbus Plastic Surgeon

Breast augmentation silicone

I would say that most of the information you have posted is incorrect. Visually there isn't much difference between saline and silicone unless you have visible rippling with salines. Smooth silicone implants have less rippling than saline implants. The leak rate is about the same and there is no guarantee that you won't need another surgery with silicone or saline sometime in the future. But you can switch them to silicone after six months if you like. I think the main reason to... more

David E. Kim, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Silicone implants

While you certainly can have saline exchanged for silicone implants ( as long as you are at least 22 years old) there is still a risk with silicone implants that they will need to be changed just like the risks with saline.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Replacement of saline implants with silicone implants

It is possible to change from saline to silicone implants, but silicone implants do not guarantee you will not need any additional surgery in the future. Silicone implants may feel more natural but with any type of breast augmentation there is a risk of complications such as capsular contracture or rupture which require revisional surgery.

Olivia Hutchinson, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Silicone implants can leak

Hi Vanevane, Silicone implants can leak and some patients prefer to remove a leaking silicone implant. Unless your surgeon is talking about form stable "gummy bear" silicone implants, I think that statement is a little broad. I would ask some questions to clarify that statement. Tracy M. Pfeifer, MD, MS

Tracy Pfeifer, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

drpfeifer.com

Implant exchange surgery

Its OK to proceed with your implant exchange surgery. However, no implants last forever - saline or silicone. Please visit with a board certified plastic surgeon to learn more about your implant options.

C. Bob Basu, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

www.basuplasticsurgery.com

Reasons to exchange saline implants for silicone

Generally, I recommend patients wait 6 months prior to exchanging implants except in emergency situations. Saline and silicone implants may not look very different. The risk of saline deflation or silicone rupture also may not be very different from each other. Certainly, I would expect both types of implants to have an increasing risk of failure with time. Thus, you would likely need to exchange each type of implant at some point. With saline implants, deflation is... more

Glen Brooks, MD
Springfield Plastic Surgeon

Saline and silicone implants

Certainly, it is possible to change implants from one style to another, assuming you are a candidate for silicone implants based on the FDA's age limit of 22 years. It is difficult in most cases to tell by looking what kind of implant a patient has. As an experienced plastic surgeon, I often can not tell whether a patient has silicone or saline by inspection, and sometimes I can not tell even by manual exam of the breast. However, as a general rule, I instruct my prospective patients... more

Tim Abou-Sayed, MD
Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon

Saline to silicone breast implants after six months

It is safe to have your breast implants changed from saline to silicone after six months but when you carefully compare, saline and silicone rarely 'look' different, and the wear of both is also similar. Generally both will last about ten years, perhaps longer, and both will leak and need replacement. The rupture rate of the silicone gel may be slightly higher than saline, the bottom line is that you should expect to replace both types of implants. I hope that you misunderstood... more

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Saline vs silicone

It is okay at the 6 month point to switch implants if you are looking for a softer, natural look. Although, there is no guarantee that you will not have to exchange your silicone implants at some point in your life. You didn't specify your age. Also, there is no expiration on saline implants. it is recommended that you have them exchanged because they can lose volume over time and with any product will wear. There are patient who have had them longer than 10 years with no issue. more

Michael A. Fiorillo, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Switching from saline to silicone implants is okay

Yes, at 6 months you're probably okay to switch to silicone implants. However, the incision may have to be longer or in a new place to get in the new silicone implant.

Jeffrey E. Schreiber, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

Saline v. silicone

Saline implants and silicone implants are not inherently better or worse than another. Each has different characteristics and risk profiles. The difference between saline and silicone is mainly with feel and texture, not appearance, unless you have rippling. The rupture rate might actually be higher for silicone as the rate for saline is about 1/2-1% per year, while silicone can be over 50%after 10-15 years depending on various studies. The difference is when saline leaks, you need another... more