Saline Breast Implants

There are advantages and disadvantages associated with saline breast implants. Some advantages of saline implants include the ability to add or take out saline solution after the initial surgery. Saline breast implant problems include that saline is liquid and may cause a ripping effect.

Saline breast implants have become the most popularly used form of breast implants in the United States. Particularly after silicone implants came under fire and were removed from the market for so long, saline breast implants have remained available and a pleasing choice for women to make.

Advantages for Saline Implants

The saline solution contained in saline breast implants is considered to be a very safe substance. Saline is simply a salt water solution, and is also commonly used in intravenous drips used on hospital patients. Because the body is able to quickly and easily absorb saline, there is less risk that the implant will cause a negative reaction.

Saline breast implants are not filled with saline solution until their outer sacks are already placed in the breast pocket. Because these outer sacks are essentially just flexible pieces of material, the incision necessary to place them within the breast can be quite smaller than the incision required for silicone breast implants.

Valves are used for the filling of saline breast implants, and so each implant can be filled to exactly the size and shape desired by the breast implant patient. A further advantage for saline breast implants is that they can be expanded even after the initial surgery has already finalized. If it will be necessary to stretch out breast tissue and skin to accommodate the desired implants, additional saline can be added at later times to continuously increase the size of saline breast implants.

Saline Breast Implant Problems

Saline breast implants are not as firm as silicone breast implants. This is because saline is a liquid and silicone is a gel. Because saline breast implants are not as firm as silicone breast implants, they can ripple within the breast. This can cause both the look and feel of saline breast implants to be unpleasing at times. If a saline breast implant ripples continuously, further surgery may be necessary to replace the implant or to move it slightly to another area where less rippling may occur.

Saline breast implants are often only covered by one layer of protection, whereas silicone implants have three or more outer layers protecting the gel. Because of this, saline breast implants may leak or erupt more easily, especially over the passage of time. Fortunately, saline can be easily accepted into the body. Unfortunately, additional surgery would need to be performed to replace the implant.