Since the FDA re-approved the use of silicone implants in 2006, women have had two options to choose from when undergoing breast augmentation surgery-saline and silicone breast implants.
While only a personal consultation with your surgeon can help you determine which type of prosthesis is the best for you, some consider silicone implants superior to saline implants due to the following five reasons.
1.
Silicone implants feel more natural.
Saline prostheses are filled with a saline solution, which is why they feel like water balloons when touched.
Silicone devices, on the other hand, are filled with silicone gel and feel smother, softer, and more like natural breast tissue.
In addition, silicone implants often look more natural than their saline counterparts.
If you would like to compare the two implant types, ask your surgeon for a catalogue of his before and after photos.
2.
Less likely to ripple or wrinkle.
Saline implants have a tendency to develop ripples and wrinkles that are visible through the skin and create an unnatural breast appearance.
This outcome is much less likely in silicone inserts, further increasing their potential to create natural-appearing breast enhancement results.
3.
New and improved.
Today's silicone implants are improved over those of previous years.
For example, the silicone filling used today is much more gel-like than in the past, when it was oilier.
Consequently, today's silicone prostheses are safer in case of rupture.
Due to the more cohesive quality of the filler, the silicone gel is unlikely to travel far in the body in the event of a leak.
Instead, it will remain in the breast region, where it can be removed by the surgeon.
A new, even more cohesive type of device known as a "gummy bear" implant has been approved in Canada, throughout Europe and in many other parts of the world but has not yet been approved for use in the United States.
4.
Better for very thin women.
Because of their more natural feel and appearance, silicone implants are often recommended for very thin women.
These patients typically have very little natural breast tissue.
If they receive saline prostheses, the inserts often look unnatural and can sometimes be visible from the sides.
Silicone devices, on the other hand, feel and look much more like the natural breast tissue.
To achieve the best possible results, surgeons often place silicone prostheses behind the chest muscle in very thin women.
5.
Extensive FDA studies.
Silicone implants received bad publicity after the FDA removed them from the market in 1992.
The FDA studied these devices extensively for more than a decade, from 1992 until 2005.
The agency decided to reintroduce silicone breast prostheses into the market after researchers were satisfied that they do not pose an undue health risk for breast augmentation surgery patients.