Dominic C. Foti, MD

Our commitment is to provide the highest standard of care and excellence in the plastic surgery field. Dr. Foti tailors each procedure carefully to ensure an excellent outcome and to make your experience a memorable one.

Colorado Springs Breast Surgery: Saline vs. Silicone Implants

When a woman decides to undergo breast augmentation to have her breasts enlarged or reconstructed with implants, she has to decide whether to use saline or silicone implants. The decision to use saline vs silicone implants can be confusing to patients. Both implants can be used for enlargement as well as reconstruction of the breast. Both implants have an average life expectancy of approximately 17 years. While both implants have been shown to be safe for implantation in women, both implants have advantages and disadvantages.

For cosmetic enlargement of the breast there are pros and cons for either implant.

Saline implants have a silicone shell and are filled with saline (salt water) after being placed in a pocket under the breast. The implant is almost always placed under the pectoralis (chest) muscle to minimize the possibility of rippling in the upper pole of the breast. The advantages of saline implants are:

1. Can be inserted through a smaller incision
2. Lower incidence of hardening of the breast (capsular contracture)
3. Easier to detect a break or tear in the implant (deflation)
4. Replacement after deflation easier
5. Less expensive than silicone implant

The disadvantages of saline implants are:

1. Less natural feel than silicone implants
2. Higher incidence of wrinkling, rippling or fold being visible or palpable
3. Aproximately 15% incidence of early deflation (<5 years)
4. Uses fill valve to inject saline which can fail or leak

Silicone implants have a silicone shell prefilled at the factory. The gel has a viscosity or feel that is similar to the human fat that is a large component of female breast tissue. The implant is usually placed beneath the pectoralis muscle.

Advantages of silicone implants are:

1. More natural feel than saline implants especially when placed above the muscle
2. Rare to have early (<5 years) break or tear of implant
3. Patients around the world choose silicone implants 90% of the time
4. Less incidence of wrinkling, rippling, or folds being visible or palpable

Disadvantages of silicone implants are:

1. Longer incision needed to insert implant since they are prefilled
2. Slightly higher incidence of hardening of breast (capsular contracture) compared to saline implants (3% vs 1%)
3. Harder to detect a break or tear in implant. MRI may be necessary to determine if present
4. Replacement following break or tear in silicone implant more difficult than with saline implants
5. More expensive than saline implant

Silicone implants are used almost exclusively for breast reconstruction following mastectomy. It is extremely difficult to achieve a natural looking or natural feeling result using saline implants.

If you are thinking about getting breast implants, be sure to consult a board certified plastic surgeon. Your surgeon may recommend one type of implant over another for optimal cosmetic results. Either type of breast implant is safe, but ultimately, the decision is up to you.