What is the Chance of Rippling in Saline Implants? I Can't Afford Silicone. (photo)

Thank you for your question and appropriate picture. The main advantage of silicone implants are the feel and decreased chance of rippling compared to saline implants. Having said that, if you don't plan on being much larger say full B cup, then the ratio of your breast tissue to implant is still favorable and you'll have a great result in terms of look and feel. You should discuss this with your surgeon again and weigh the risks and benefits. In terms of costs it may be worthwhile to spend more on silicone implants. In my practice, non anatomical silicone breast implants are ~1k more for the cost of the implants. Best of luck. 

You are thin and with little breast tissue of your own, so the likelihood of visible or palpable rippling with saline implants is relatively high, even with submuscular placement, which is certainly recommended. No one can give you an "exact" percentage, but I can confidently assert that rippling is ALWAYS more common with saline implants, and that silicone implants RARELY have rippling.

Silicone cohesive gel implants are so superior in "feel," natural softness, and homogeneity with breast tissue that (with my encouragement) over 98% of my patients choose silicone gel implants rather than saline. (Our cost for silicone breast augmentation is just under $6000; saline breast augmentation is $5400, so $2K difference seems high, even by New Jersey standards!) Every one of my office staff who previously had saline breast implants has undergone switch to silicone. There's a reason for this, especially since they see all patients with both kinds of implants and really end up knowing which are "best." With all issues, not just rippling!

Don't get me wrong; for 15 years (during the FDA restrictions between 1991 and 2006) we also used (mostly) saline breast implants and had many happy and satisfied patients. But those who had a higher likelihood of dissatisfaction were similar to your anatomy, and we have even more satisfied patients now that we utilize predominantly the newest generation of cohesive silicone gel implants! Honest.

If you "can't afford" silicone implants, either wait and save up for silicone, or fly to Minneapolis for a less costly operation (with the right implants). I'll bet you can pay for the flight and hotel, as well as the surgery, for less than you are paying now!

Going ahead with saline may end up being the costliest mistake you make, especially if you have to have another operation to place the silicone implants you "should have had" in the first place. Consider this carefully.  Best wishes! Dr. Tholen