Saline vs. Silicone Breast Implants
By David Reid | Published on December 1, 2009 | 0 Comments
A member of the American Medical Association and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Dr. David Reid received his medical education at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Now at New Dimensions Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery in Belleville, Illinois, he performs an array of cosmetic procedures. He sheds light on the debate between saline and silicone breast implants in this article, discussing the merits and drawbacks of each type.
One of the most common questions many women ask when coming in for a breast augmentation consultation is what type of breast implant is best. The problem is there is no particular answer to that, because each option has its own benefits and drawbacks. The best option, in my eyes, is for women to learn as much as possible about both saline and silicone breast implant options, and for them to base their decision on that information and knowledge.
Although the fillings in saline and silicone breast implants are different, the shell of the implant is the same in both types.
When someone talks about saline in a breast implant, I try to explain that the saline in an implant is the same type of saline that would go in your IV at a hospital. Meanwhile, the silicone in a silicone implant is basically a silicone polymer.
Even though a lot of women remember hearing bad things about silicone implants in the past, it is important that they now realize that these implants have undergone a vast number of changes in the past decade that now make them a good option for a lot of women.
Although saline implants were in favor for a while, I would say that there is a gradual and steady movement back towards gel implants in this country. I am certainly seeing that in my practice, at least. At present, a good 70% to 80% of my patients are asking for, and receiving, gel implants during their breast augmentation procedures now.
Like I said, though, this has been a gradual shift over time. Back in 2006, after the gel implants were put back on the market for general use, it was not nearly as common for a woman looking to have breast implants to ask for the gel option. The reason they weren’t popular during this time period was because of the memory that folks still had in their mind from the timeframe in the 1990s when silicone gel implants were not advised for use.
Since then, though, all those fears about silicone gel implants have been subsided by the overwhelming evidence that this is a safe option for women seeking breast augmentation. Quality scientific research has shown that those initial fears over the safety of silicone implants were unfounded. But even with that, the fact remains that there was a period of at least four or five years when even though patients could use silicone implants, they still generally chose not to for personal reasons.
So nowadays what I advise patients to do is to look at the before and after photos of women who have had each type of implant done, and see the differences for themselves. We can walk our patients through a gallery of sample photos of past patients so they have a good idea of what to expect.
And, of course, any patient who still isn’t sure which option is best should just ask her cosmetic surgeon what he recommends. That is really the best way of finding out which option is going to be the best for anyone’s specific, personal, situation based on that patient’s cosmetic goals and individual health issues.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
Tags: breast implants, saline implants, silicone implants
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*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.