Silicone Breast Implants Vs. Saline - How to Choose?

Which are better, silicone breast implants or saline breast implants?

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57 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon

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Silicone vs Saline

Both are safe. Both are approved. Silicon may feel a bit better and require a bigger incision and are associated with a higher cost. Some patients do not want silicone in their body, but remember, the shell of all implants are silicone based.

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Saline Breast Implants : The Basics

Saline implants: the basics Both Silicone and Saline Implants can look and feel natural. In the time since the moratorium was lifted, gel implants have gone from being used in my practice on rare occasion to being used in almost all the breast augmentations I perform. Patient satisfaction has been excellent and I have been very pleased with the performance of the new ‘cohesive’ gel material. However, most of my patients with saline implants, before silicone implants... more

Michael Law, MD

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Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

michaellawmd.com

Silicone Gel Breast Implants Vs. Saline Implants-How to Choose

Most women in my Plastic Surgery practice today are choosing the new Silicone Gel Breast Implants. The most common reasons women choose Silicone Gel Breast Implants are: Natural Feel Less risk of Implant Folds or Ripples No risk of deflation Saline Breast Implants are also excellent and can give an equally nice result. Risk of deflation and visible folds or ripples are drawbacks. Women choose them because They fear Silicone Want a "natural... more

"Risk" versus "Feel" for the most part

Hello, Silicone gel implants are filled with a "jelly like" silicone substance to which the body reacts more over time. They come filled at one size and are not adjustable in the operating room. Saline implants are more adjustable and this allows better sizing during surgery. Long term capsules (scar formation with hardening) is more commonly a problem with silicone gel implants. The FDA recommendations are that patients with silicone gel implants have breast MRIs every two years... more

The better breast implant

If there was truely one implant that is better than the other...there would be only one implant available . Each implant has its pro's and con's that you must accept. Silicone feels and looks more natural and ripples less. Saline feels and looks a little less natural and ripples more. The incision is smaller with saline and bigger with silicone. If the saline implant ruptures you know because your breast becomes smaller, if silicone ruptures it is called 'silent' bec more

Saline vs. Silicone breast implants

Both saline and silicone implants will give you a beautiful, natural result. Silicone implants feel softer and more natural like normal breast tissue. Saline implants tend to be more firm and ripple more than silicone. However, if you have a decent amount of natural breast tissue like a B or C cup, the difference between saline and silicone will be much less obvious. If you are very thin and have no breast tissue, silicone implants will look and feel more natural... more

Patients must educate themselves in the pros and cons of each implant and then decide which they prefer.

I find that many individuals considering breast augmentation are in the dark about which implant to choose between saline and gel. Most of their uncertainty stems from a lack of knowledge about either implant. I try to give them a list of the pros and cons of each implant. It is then up to each individual to decide between the two. In my experience there is very little difference in appearance between the two. If you placed a gel implant in one breast and a saline in the other it would be... more

Depends on your build

Advantages of saline Less expensive (about $1000 less) Adjustability Shorter scar (my scar is 1" long) No silent ruptures - if they deflate/ rupture, there is no guessing or worrying More volume choices - based on the patients optimal implant diameter and choice of implant size Can be used in women under 22 years of age Advantages of silicone More natual feeling Less risk of rippling Generally silicone implants are ideal for the very thin patient with small breasts. In the larger... more

In any market in the world, Silicone beats Saline EVERY TIME!

Just look at the sales figures for SALINE implants vs SILICONE IMPLANTS anywhere in the world where both implant types are legally present for sale. Silicone out sells Saline implants EVERY TIME. That means, in mature markets, WOMEN DECIDE TO BUY SILICONE MORE OFTEN. You can make up your own mind why that might be, but it suggests to me that Silicone implants out sell Saline implants because they are more desirable. In my 20 plus years of experience, I was... more

Silicone and saline implants are both safe for human use...

Silicone and saline implants are both safe for human use and will achieve your desired results of fuller, more shapely or more symmetric breasts. The FDA requires that patients be at least 22 years old to have silicone implants, but overall it is ultimately your choice. Saline implants are great for patients who have slight asymmetry in their breasts because it can be corrected with different amounts of saline solution being injected into the implants. Silicone implants have a closer... more

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Comments (1)

GIM108 26 Feb 2013

Thank you. I was so confused as to which ones I should choose. In my mind, saline is safer than silicone but if both consider safe, I think I'm leaning toward silicone now for the more "natural feeling".

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