Are Saline or Silicone Implants Better for Tubular Breasts?

The treatment of tubular breasts in our practice usually consists of

- not selecting a size larger than the base diameter of the breasts (or they bulge out)

- using relaxing incisions (these only help to a degree)

- using higher profile implants (that maximize the volume given the small base diameter)

- performing a periareolar lift for the baggy areolar area.

Patients must be realistic about their outcomes.  The choice of which implant is a personal one based on weighting the risks, necessity of getting MRI studies after silicone gel implants, etc.

In general I prefer silicone implants for all breast work as I think they feel more natural and are better implants. For tubular breast treatment you are having reconstructive work,  therefore, you are eligible for silicone implants. The comments about the severity of the deformity are very germane so without a picture it is difficult to be more specific. I suggest you find a surgeon you are comfortable with and let them guide you.

The treatment of the tubular breast is complicated. Implants are only one part. Saline and gel implants both work well. Gel implants generally feel and look more natural - so in general I prefer them. Specifically for the tuberous breast the inferior pole can be quite thin after it's treated ( scorred) so gel is definitely better.

Tubular breasts come in several versions and so there is no single best answer. What they all have in common is tightness of the skin envelope over the lower part of the breast, and so using an expander saline implant (Mentor Spectrum) can be very helpful for that. This is a saline implant that is connected to what is called a "fill port" which you would see as a bump under the skin below the breast. Every few weeks some more saline is injected into it so that the skin is slowly stretched. This way you also get to see different sizes during the exp-ansion, and within certain limits you can decide what you like. The fill port is removed under a simple local anesthesia procedure about 3 months after implant placement. Additional procedures may be required for tubular breast so you really need to see a plastic surgeon who does a lot of them.

Correction of tubular breast typically involves addressing 3 aspects of the "deformity: Small size Large areolae Narrow base diameter Therefore surgery respectively consists of Implant augmentation Circumareolar reduction Radial relaxing incisions. 

 

Regarding implants, silicone are only available if you are over the age of 22.  IF you wish to have surgery sooner than your 22nd birthday, I would consider saline.