Which One Is Safer – Saline Implants Or Silicone Implants?

Breast implants have been growing in popularity over the years. With this, there are growing concerns over its safety from those who want this surgical procedure done on their breasts. In this article, we will be providing more information about breast implant safety. You can also look here for more information.

Which Breast Implants Are Safer?

Current research suggests that saline and silicone gel implants do not have significant differences in terms of safety. However, each type of implant has its advantages and disadvantages. These pros and cons include:

Aesthetic results — Between silicone and saline breast implants, most plastic surgeons and female patients prefer the former than the later. This is because silicone implants look and feel more like real breast tissue. Saline implants, on the other hand, are not preferred as they cause rippling of the skin in some patients.

Ruptures — Another risk women face after silicone or saline breast implants is ruptures. A patient’s breast(s) might rupture if she falls, if there was an error during the surgery, or if she goes for a mammogram and too much pressure is exerted on it/them. However, these two types of implants are affected differently by a rupture.

Among the two, ruptures on saline implants are the easiest to spot. This is because, the breast changes rapidly in shape due to the leaking fluids. Because saline implants contain saltwater, the body will harmlessly absorb the leak.

On the other hand, ruptures on silicone gel implants are not easy to notice. The leaking silicone remains in the body after the rupture. In some cases, the leaking silicone spreads from the breast into other organs such as the lymph nodes. As bad as this sounds, there is no evidence of health conditions caused by the leak. However, your physician will most likely recommend removing the implant if it ruptures.

The FDA-recommended method of detecting silicone gel breast implant ruptures is MRI. This is because it isn’t easy for either doctors or patients to detect it. You should visit a your doctor three years after the procedure for an MRI. Afterwards, it is recommended that you do this once every two years. It is important to note that not all insurance contracts cover MRIs. Therefore, plan yourself well financially as the cost for the MRIs over the course of your life may surpass the amount of money you spent on the procedure itself.

Platinum — This is one of the elements contained in silicone gel breast implants. Saline implants, on the other hand, do not. Even though concern has been raised about the safety of platinum, the FDA says that this element does not pose any risk in the body.

Surgical differences — When it comes to the size of incision, silicone gel breast implants require larger ones than saline based implants. This is because silicone implants come pre-filled, therefore, needing a bigger incision for them to be implanted into the breast. Saline implants, on the other hand, are filled after implantation. Another surgical difference between these two implants worth noting is their adjustability. The size of saline implants can be increased or decreased without surgery months after they were implanted. This isn’t possible with the silicone based ones.