Can saline implants give me a natural look and feel?

Implant type – saline or silicone – is one of
the most important topics you’ll discuss during your personal consultation with
your plastic surgeon – be sure he or she is board certified with a demonstrated
expertise in breast surgery. The short answer is that silicone implants – most specifically,
the new Gummy Bears – offer the most natural look (and feel). Here’s some more
detail to guide your decision-making:



Gummy Bears implants represent the latest (and
greatest) advances in silicone implants. They tend to deliver the most natural
outcomes – to the eye and to the touch. Ripples and wrinkling is minimized, as
is the incidence of capsular contracture. In fact, one of the manufacturers of
Gummy Bears (Sientra), offers a two-year warranty against capsular contracture in first-time augmentation patients. This is very notable.



Saline implants are, of course, and option.
While silicone implants prevail in my practice, saline implants are also FDA
approved and can be in the consideration set. As you know, saline implants are
inserted and then filled with fluid once secured in the pocket. Generally
speaking, saline implants are firmer and may be subject to rupture.



A final suggestion for you: most all plastic surgeon websites provide
before-and-after pictures. I encourage you to spend time on the sites of
surgeons you’re considering. LOOK at their silicone and saline implant results.
The work may speak for itself.

Although the choice is a personal one, I would
be a happy to provide some facts about the two different options.

Silicone implants look and feel more natural,
have a lower risk of visible "ripples or wrinkles" and are currently
the more popular choice for patinets. Physicians may recommend silicone
over saline for patients who are very thin or have little breast tissue to help
lessen the visible "ripples or wrinkles". Silicone implants may
be recommended for patients using an over the muscle placement technique.


Saline implants are slightly firmer if
overfilled and hold their "round" shape better often making them a
choice for patients seeking a "fake" look. The saline implants
are filled with fluid that is very safe if "leaked" into the body and
a patient usually immediately knows if they have a rupture or malfunctioning
implant, whereas a silicone implant rupture may be undetectable or require
expensive tests such as a MRI or Mammogram.

Both implants are FDA approved, come in several
different shapes, types and sizes and have been used for years safely on many
patients.

Saline implants can give excellent results for both look and feel. it also depends on the size and shape of the breast that the woman is starting with. The more breast tissue the better it is in order to help cover over the implant. When you go for your consultation you should be presented with both and a surgeon wo will listen to your concerns and help you to make the best choice for you. Good luck.

Thank you for your question.  This is a very commonly asked question in my practice.  Saline implants can give a natural-looking augmentation.  The difference relates to the individual patient anatomy more than the implant.  For example, large saline implants placed in thin-skinned patients can result in a "fake" look while the same saline implant in someone with thick skin/breast tissue would look natural.  The most important thing to do is consult with an experienced plastic surgeon who can deliver the results you desire.  Best of luck to you,Ruth Celestin, MD

Thanks for your question.  Silicone implants will feel more natural in someone who is thin or who doesn't have much breast tissue.  If there is ample tissue to cover the implant, both silicone and saline will feel similar.  The same thing goes for the look.  Both will look similar if there is enough breast tissue to camofluage any folding or rippling of the implants.  If the patient is really thin or the size of the implant is large enough to stretch out the breast skin significantly, silicone implants will look more natural.  Of course, it is important to consult with your plastic surgeon to determine which option is right for you.

Saline implants can be very natural in both look and feel...in the right patient and when placed in the right position. The most natural look and feel with saline implants will be achieved when: 1. you have enough of your own breast tissue 2. when a conservative sized implant is used  3. when the implant is filled to the appropriate volume and not significant over or under filled  4. when the implant is placed behind the muscle. Patients that tend to have a more unnatural appearance and feel to their breasts are patients that:  1. have very thin skin and breast envelopes  2. have implants placed that are too big for their chest dimensions   3. have implants that are not filled to the appropriate volumes  4. have implants placed in the subglandular space when the tissue coverage is not adequate.

Dear Kelli85165, In general: saline can look as natural as silicone if you have a good amount of breast tissue already and want a small augmentation.  Most of the time silicone implants will feel more natural, although it can be difficult to tell the difference if the there is a lot of natural breast tissue covering a small implant.   Conversely, if you have little breast tissue and want a larger implant, silicone will likely look more natural.  Without more information it is difficult to answer your question further.  Seek an in person consultation with a plastic surgeon to discuss your desires and options for your body.   Best of luck. 

It depends on how much breast tissue you have to begin with.  If you have very little breast tissue, silicone implants will give you the most natural look and feel. If you have a fair amount of breast tissue already, saline implants may not be distinguishable from silicone implants in terms of look or feel.  In between, saline can probably you give a very good look, but will not feel as natural as silicone implants.  Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon in order to get the best answers for you based on an examination and discussion with you personally.  Best of luck to you.  

 Both silicone gel and saline implants are safe, work well and can look totally natural. It really is a matter of understanding the performance differences between the two types of implants, figuring out what your priorities are, and deciding what it best for you personally.Saline breast implants are inserted uninflated and are filled with sterile saline (salt water) from a bag of IV fluid - the same fluid that is administered intravenously to patients during surgery. As they are inserted unfilled, they can be introduced through an incision that is slightly smaller than what is required for silicone gel implants. Their fill volume can be varied - for example a 300cc implant can be inflated to any volume between 300 and 330cc - so minor asymmetries in breast volume can often be 'fine tuned' by varying the fill volume of the implants.The silicone gel implants that were approved by the FDA in 2006 for general cosmetic use are cohesive silicone gel implants, a term which means that the gel material inside the implants is in a solid state. This solid gel material feels somewhat firmer than the old liquid silicone gel implants, but has the distinct advantage of not leaking out of the implant if and when the outer shell fails. Gel implants are packaged pre-filled, and come in sizes that vary in fill volume by about 25-30cc.In most patients, silicone gel implants are difficult to discern as separate from breast tissue when feeling for them with your fingertips. They feel soft, natural, and the shell of the implant is usually palpable only in very slender patients with small breast volumes preoperatively (A, small B). In most of these cases the implants are palpable only in the most lateral aspect of the augmented breast, where there is the least amount of natural tissue concealing them. In many patients with cohesive silicone gel implants it is essentially impossible to detect the presence of the implants by feel. It is not uncommon for a patient with cohesive gel implants to report at their six- or twelve-month follow-up appointment that they tend to forget that they have breast implants, as the look and feel of their augmented breasts is so natural.Saline implants are soft, but because the fill material is non-viscous (salt water) the outer margins of the implant are less well-supported. The outer shell of the implant therefore tends to collapse at the edges of the implant, making the outer shell material more easily palpable as 'ridges' or folds. This is most significant in patients with the least amount of natural tissue to conceal the implants: slender women with A-cup and small to medium B-cup breasts. On the other hand, fuller-figured patients with full B-cup breasts who are seeking a C- or D-cup breast enhancement often get a result with saline implants that feels completely natural.So silicone gel implants provide a palpability advantage for slender, small-breasted women. For fuller-figured women with a fuller preoperative breast volume, there is less of a palpability difference between saline and silicone gel implants.

There is nothing truly natural about implants but silicone gel implant have more favorable characteristics.  But some patients find saline works better for their psyche or pocketbook and in my opinion, both implants will make your breasts bigger and fuller and if anyone is lucky enough to get close to them, it shouldn't really matter at that point.