Do Silicone and Saline Implants Weigh the Same?

Question

I have Becker Breast implants that are not longer available in the US.  They are two-layer implants. The inside layer is saline - outer layer is silicone. Two layers of liquid in a smooth silicone shell.  The implants are 1000 cc's. What do the implants themselves weigh?  I am hoping to get a reduction. Do Saline and Silicone implants weigh the same, pretty much?  Thanks.

Bradley Bengtson, MD, FACS · Answer

This is a really insightful question. I gave a paper at our past National Aesthetic Society (ASAPS) on this topic specifically: "Differences between Silicone and Saline Implants Plastic Surgeons Need to Know"
Saline implant shell have weight and contribute up to 15-25 grams or cc's depending on the size of the implant. This is important because saline implants are filled in surgery and come empty. Silicone implants come pre-filled and actually their weight includes their shell, so as an example, if we are exchanging a patient's saline implants that were 300cc implants filled to 330cc's the implant actually weighs 350 cc's or ~350 grams. So if we are replacing a 330cc saline implant and put a 330 cc silicone gel implant in, it is actually 20cc's smaller. Also, the gel implants have less projection so will be slightly and look slightly smaller.
Next, Saline is actually more dense and weighs more than silicone gel. It is not a lot, ~.990  grams (gel) vs 1.02 grams (saline), but even 0.1 gram difference with a 500 gram implant is 50 grams or up to 50cc's different.
You need to recognize however that 30 cc's is only 2 tablespoons and it takes about 100 cc's difference for you to visualize a difference inside the body. But the answer is yes, there is a difference. The patient and the plastic surgeon need to know and discuss these differences. They are subtle, but measurable.

Farbod Esmailian, MD · Answer

The difference is really not significant.  So the weight that you have is roughly 2.2 lbs each. 
You can reduce the size of the implants and the largest silicone implants that are available are 800 cc.  Just remember that you may need some kind of a lift if you do go significantly smaller.
Good luck.

David Shafer, MD, FACS · Answer

The difference in weight between silicone and saline implants is negligible. You really should not worry about the difference in weight for surgical decision making. You should consider the volume and shape. Good luck.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

A pound of feathers weighs the same as a pound of rocks.  The same volume of saline and silicone weigh the same.  If they are filled to total of 1000cc's, then they weigh about 2.2 lbs.

David B. Reath, MD (retired) · Answer

This is an interesting question that was the subject of our Truth-O-Meter Tuesday question a while back. Lots of people got the wrong answer...even some of our office staff. I explain why in the video and weigh some implants so you can see the difference.

George J. Beraka, MD (retired) · Answer

Hi!
I answered another of your questions!  Silicone and saline do not really weigh exactly the same, but you need a precision scale to tell the difference.
As far as the breast augmentation patient is concerned, silicone breast implants and saline breast implants of the same volume weigh the same.

John E. Gross, MD (retired) · Answer

Saline implants that have a volume of 300 cc weigh  approximately 300 grams(a pound is approx 454 grams).
Silicone gel can vary slightly in density, depending on the cohesiveness of the device, but it is very close to the density of saline.  The differences in densities of saline and the various types of silicone filled implants are so small that they are not clinically significant.
When thinking of weight of the various implants a more important consideration than than the density of the material is the quality and thickness of the overlying soft tissue that will support the implant over time.
Your Becker devices weigh approximately 1000 grams, about 2.2 pounds.

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