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Easy to Add More Saline to the Implants?

asked 3 years ago by katherine lynn
Latest answer by Steven Wallach, MD
Question viewed 2,522 times
Tags: saline implants

I have had my saline implants for nearly 2 weeks. I feel like one implant is bigger than the other (fuller). Is it easy for my doctor to go back in and add more saline? I wasn't impressed with the size I am; I thought I'd be bigger.

13 answers to Easy to Add More Saline to the Implants?

While this is possible, you should wait a few months

It is technically possible to add more saline to a breast implant, but there are a couple of things to consider: 1) It's important to wait a few months to allow everything to settle and heal properly before consider another operation of any kind, even just adding more saline to the implant(s) 2) Adding more saline may not necessarily get you the amount of fullness you want, and so you may need one or both implants replaced. I would give your body some time to heal properly, let all the... more

Shahram Salemy, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Adding more volume to saline implants

Thanks for the question. It is too early to judge small issues with symmetry and position. There is likely considerable swelling at the two week point. 2 months will give you a better picture of where you will be in terms of size, shape and symmetry. Adding additional volume requires replacing the implant in most cases. (There is a specialized implant that is more commonly used for reconstruction that has a port that you can add or remove fluid from that is remotely located from the... more

Steven H. Williams, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

Filling implant with more saline

Although filling saline implants with more saline is relatively easy, you would need an additional surgical procedure to expose the implant and fill it up. I would wait and see how things look after a few months. You may have differential swelling that may subside.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Filling with more saline is easy, but...

You need to wait a little while longer before considering doing anything. You are too early post-op. When all the swelling goes down, you will likely be even smaller than you are now, so consider the following. If only very minimal changes need to be made, then it is easy to add more saline under local. However if the implant is already fully filled or you want a lot more volume, then you may need the implants exchanged, which can also be done easily. Be sure to discuss your concerns... more

Shain A. Cuber, MD
Marlboro Plastic Surgeon

Implants have a recommended fill range

First of all, you are very early post op. You will see changes over the next few weeks and months as the swelling resolves and the implants and tissues settle. The worst thing would be to rush in to more surgery before allowing time for recovery from your first surgery. Second, saline implants have a recommended fill range. So, if you want a different size, you will likely need a different implant. You have to remember that this is surgery. Even though the advances in plastic surgery... more

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Topping off implants

Discuss your concerns with your surgeon for several reasons: 1) He may have filled the implants differently to complensate for size differences in the breasts. 2) Alternatively, different breast shapes or sizes may contribute to the percieved differences in the implant. 3) A fluid collection could also be responsible. If you are unhappy with your breast size now, they will only get smaller, once the swelling has resolved. It is unlikely that filling your implants within their recommended... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

It sounds like you will need to have one or both implants replaced to be happy.

Hi. Of course don't do anything for 3 months and let things settle. Then you may need the implant in the smaller breast replaced with a bigger one. If in 3 months, you feel you are too small overall (and your expectations are realistic), then both implants can be replaced. Perhaps one of your breasts was bigger than the other one to begin with. This is very common. I recommend using disposable implant SIZERS during the operation. The surgeon can try out different volumes and see what... more

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Slight asymmetry after breast augmentation can be normal

After surgery, one side always seems to heal a little faster than the other side, for unexplained reasons. This may account for the asymmetry that you are noticing. At about six weeks to three months, the breasts should be closer to their final state. I would wait until at least three months to make a final evaluation and see how you feel about the results. That said, if at that point you still feel like you want to be larger, only a small amount of saline can be added to an implant. ... more

Susan E. Downey, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

It is possible to add more saline to implants

Yes, it is possible to add more saline depending on current volume and size of implants. The manufacturer has a minimum and maximum fill volume for each size implant and these should be followed. You may need a larger size if you desire significantly larger implants. I also suggest you wait a while until the implants have settled and early post-operative changes have calmed before making any decisions. It is imperative that you discuss this with your surgeon so he/she is aware of your... more

Brian J. Lee, MD
Fort Wayne Plastic Surgeon

Implants accentuate natural asymmetry

Almost all women have diffferent sized breasts naturally. Implants may make your natural asymmetry more obvious. You also may have some swelling which will go away with time (4-6 weeks). However, it is also possible for your surgeon to add or subtract saline in another operation.

G. Gregory Gallico III, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

Give it some time

Your asymmetry may be just differential swelling and may improve with time. Also, if your implants are under the muscle, the muscle may be pressing them down and making them look flatter and smaller than they will eventually. It just isn't possible right now to tell what your final result will be so give it 3 months and re-evaluate. To make any significant size increase, usually you would be better with new implants rather than just adding more to your current ones.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Volume and implants

While you can possibly add volume to your implants, it won't necessarily make you bigger and volume itself is not the only factor in breast size. Each saline implant is manufactured to contain a narrow range of volume. For example, an impland labeled as a 300cc implant may have a recommended fill volume of 300-330cc. Most surgeons will fill to at least the minimum volume and probably up to the maximum recommended volume. If you inject more fluid, the implant will not get appreciably larger,... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Possibly

Hi there- It really is too early to make an assessment of your outcome, as the result will be evolving over the next few weeks... Try to be patient and not judge the outcome or your level of satisfaction until then. If that time goes by and you still think you would like some adjustment, whether or not it is possible without new implants will depend on the capacity of your implants, and how much larger you would like to be. All saline implants have a range within which the can be filled...... more