For many patients, breast augmentation with a Silicone Gel or Saline Implant can provide significant cosmetic benefits that can also improve self esteem and confidence. Breast augmentation can also help women feel more comfortable wearing clothes, bathing suits and lingerie.
Implants increase overall breast volume, upper pole (upper breast) fullness, and add some firmness to breasts that may have lost these characteristics due to pregnancy, breast feeding, weight loss, or simply genetics (born with small breasts).
Both silicone and saline implants have an outer silicone shell. They differ in what they are filled with and how they feel.
Saline implants are filled with sterile water. They are placed into the breast empty and filled once in the breast pocket to a predetermined desired amount. They have more wrinkling/rippling compared to silicone implants. This is especially important in women with thin skin and thin breast tissue. You are more likely to see or feel the natural wrinkling/rippling of implants if you have very thin breast tissue and skin.
Silicone implants are made with a silicone gel filling. They are placed into the breast already filled. Silicone implants look and feel more natural than saline implants.
Saline and Silicone Gel Breast implants come in a wide variety of sizes and types to choose from to fit your desires and lifestyle
What should I know about implants before surgery?
- Implants are not lifetime devices: you should expect to get another surgery at some point in the future due to a variety of reasons including rupture of the implant or scar tissue that can form around the implant (capsular contracture)
- Do I need to get them automatically replaced after 10 years like I have heard on the internet and social media?
No. You do not unless the implant(s) are known to be ruptured or you simply have a desire to get them removed or replaced. The old adage holds true– “if they are not broke, don’t fix them.” - Your breasts will continue to change in volume and shape with age, weight changes, pregnancy, breast feeding, hormonal changes, etc. This may lead you to want to change your implants, remove them or perform a breast lift to optimize your results.
- Implants do not lift sagging breasts. In this case, a Mastopexy (Breast Lift) is utilized to place the nipple and breast in better position. This can often be performed at the same time as placing an implant to improve breast volume, fullness and firmness.
- While most patients can go on to successfully breast feed and continue to have normal or near normal nipple sensation this cannot be guaranteed after surgery.
