subject: Saline Breast Implants: The Right Choice For Me? [print this page] One of the first decisions you will need to make in the process of breast augmentation is what type of breast implant to choose. Certainly there are benefits to both silicone and saline breast implants. While silicone has come back in a big way in the United States since their approval in 2006, saline remains a very popular option. During the period of 1992 to 2006, saline breast implants were the only type that was allowed for use in the United States. As a result, many women have come to prefer some of the benefits.
Perhaps the biggest value to using saline breast implants has to do with the fact that they will leave a significantly smaller incision. For women that are conscious of the scarring issue relative to breast augmentation, opting for saline is often the best option. With the typical incision methods the implant will leave a scar that is as much as 2 inches shorter than with silicone. Since saline breast implants are not filled until they are placed under the breast, the shell of the implant can be folded and slid through a much smaller incision in the skin. Additionally, if you are interested in scarless breast augmentation by using the transumbilical incision method, the saline implant is the only type that is possible to use.
When saline implants were first used they were placed above the muscle. This resulted in a problem since the rippling of the implant could be seen through the skin, making it fairly obvious that a woman had breast implants. As a result surgeons soon learned how to place the implant either partially or entirely under the muscle in order to hide the rippling and resulting in a more natural look.
Many women also feel that a benefit to saline is that upon rupture of the implant it is often quite noticeable in a short period of time. When a saline implant ruptures the saline leaks safely into the body and is noticeably deflated often within a day or two. This is quite the opposite of silicone implants which actually holds themselves together making rupture detection difficult. In many cases a silicone breast implant rupture cannot be detected until an annual mammogram.
Finally, saline implants are as much as one thousand dollars cheaper than silicone. For the cost conscious woman this often makes saline the preferred option. The cost difference has to do not only with the filler but also the comparatively limited production of silicone implants. As silicone grows in popularity the prices of saline may not be so much more affordable than silicone.
If you are questioning whether or not saline implants are the right choice for you, one of the first things you should do is to try on some breast implant sizers to see what breast size might be right for you. Your decision on which breast implant size is right for you will help you and your surgeon determine which style of breast implant is going to be ideal for you. While in the early years of plastic surgery breast implant sizers were only available in the office of the doctor, there are a variety of take home kits which can help you visualize and experience a variety of breast implant sizes.
If silicone implants are your choice, you are opting for the most versatile type of implant. Be sure to research the benefits of both saline as well as silicone prior to making your final decision on breast implant type.
