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Battle of Breast Implants: Silicone vs. Saline
by Wally Singer
There are many great battles: good vs. evil; tastes great vs. less filling; Coke vs. Pepsi; satellite vs. cable; and the list goes on. Now, since the U.S. Food and drug Administration (FDA) has once again approved the use of silicone breast implants, there is another choice: silicone vs. saline.
Silicone Breast Implant Candidates
When the FDA lifted the restrictions on using silicone breast implants in November 2006 another option once again became available to most women seeking breast augmentation. FDA approval allows silicone breast implants to be used in women 22 years old or older for breast augmentation and for women of any age who are having breast reconstruction surgery.
Saline Breast Implant Candidates
Saline-filled breast implants also carry an age restriction from the FDA. However, unlike silicone breast implants, saline implants can be used on any woman 18 years old or older seeking breast enlargement. Similar to silicone implants, saline breast implants can be used on a woman of any age for breast reconstruction.
Difference Between Saline and Silicone Breast Implants
Although they both perform the same function, saline and silicone breast implants vary in material used and consistency. Both types of breast implants have a silicone outer shell, but the similarities seem to end there.
As the name implies, saline breast implants are filled with saline. The implant can be filled prior to surgery and implanted whole or the implant can be placed and then filled with saline. Saline breast implants have been considered to be safer because if they leak, only saline is leaking into the body. However, the saline implants tend to ripple and appear less natural-looking.
Silicone implants, as described in the name, are filled with a silicone gel. Unlike saline implants, silicone implants cannot be filled during surgery. Silicone breast implants have a higher risk of capsular contracture (formation of scar tissue) than saline implants. A rupture of a silicone implant is not as noticeable as a saline implant, but that is not a good thing. A slow leak of silicone into the body can cause harm. The main advantage of silicone gel-filled implants is that they look and feel more like natural breasts.
Which Type of Breast Implant is Right for Me?
When trying to decide between silicone and saline breast implants, you should speak with a cosmetic surgeon skilled in breast augmentation surgery. Your surgeon will address all of your concerns in-depth and help determine if you're a better candidate for saline breast implants or silicone breast implants.
If you are interested in plastic surgery procedures such as breast augmentation surgery or liposuction, you need a skilled plastic surgeon. A plastic surgery office in Gainesville, Florida can help address your concerns and answer your questions.
About the Author
Wally Singer is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn.
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