Should I Replace my Saline Implants if They Have Ripples?

Thank you for your question. Rippling can be seen when the surface of an implant shadows through the tissue, often found where the breast tissue coverage is thin. Some implant styles are more prone such as an overfilled saline implant. Others are less prone such as a shaped silicone implant. So one approach is to change an implant to one that is less prone to rippling. Another approach would be to add some thickness to the breast tissue. This can be done by fat grafting where fat is carefully layered between the skin and the implant. Another is to add a dermal matrix sheet between the breast and the implant where the rippling is visible to blunt the impression of the implant on the overlying skin. If you notice the rippling soon after surgery, I often recommend waiting until around the six month mark as your breasts may continue to change during that recovery period. I would visit with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options in more detail.

Breast Augmentation has extremely high satisfaction rates,
but occasionally rippling can occur following this procedure.This can occur with either saline or silicone
breast implants.Several factors have
been associated with rippling following breast augmentation.These include saline implants, large implants,
thin soft tissue and placement of implants on top of the muscle.The
potential for rippling can be decreased in several ways.It’s important in high risk patients to avoid
using implants that are large relative to the patient’s native breast
tissue.Firmer implants such as silicone
and cohesive gel implants can also decrease the potential for this
problem.Submusclar placement decreases
rippling by increasing the soft tissue coverage over the implants.Surgeons should avoid over dissection of the
pocket and avoid implants that are wider than the patient’s breast tissue.Finally over filling the implant when using
saline may help to minimize rippling.Despite
these maneuvers, rippling may still occur. It’s important to realize that in
the vast majority of patients, rippling isn’t a problem and even when it does
occur most patients are still very happy.In your
case, it might be reasonable to replace your saline implants with firmer
implants.In this situation, silicone or
cohesive gel implants might improve your rippling.If
you’re concerned about rippling following breast augmentation, consultation
with your plastic surgeon is appropriate.Depending upon the specifics of your previous procedure your surgeon
should be able to formulate a treatment plan that’s appropriate for you.