The Saline Solution: Navigating Your Breast Augmentation Options
Are you considering breast augmentation to enhance the size and shape of your breasts?
Saline implants offer more than just volume – they bring a unique set of advantages that might make them the ideal choice for you. Introduced in 1964, saline implants have maintained popularity alongside silicone implants, which have been available since 1961. In this blog post, we’ll address lesser known aspects of saline implants, and explore why they’re a stand out choice.
Your Saline Implant Questions Answered:
1. What are Saline Implants Made From?
Saline implants get their name from the sterile water, saline, that they’re filled with. A flexible silicone outer shell is filled to a precise amount within a range of volumes, allowing adjustability tailored to your individual needs.
2. How Much Do Saline Implants Cost?
Saline implants are less expensive than their silicone gel counterparts, often half the cost!
3. Can I Change the Size of My Saline Implants?
Adjustment of saline implant size is possible even after the initial surgery, involving a small incision. This flexibility allows for personalized adjustments to meet your aesthetic preferences over time. Despite this possible adjustment, it’s important to remember that all breast implants are single use items. The implant manufacturers are very clear about this. If one feels that their implants should be larger or smaller, it is best practice to replace the implants with a more appropriate implant.
4. Will My Scar Be Visible After My Breast Augmentation Surgery?
Saline implants are filled after being placed in your breast; very rarely are they pre-filled. This unique advantage not only reduces discomfort but also ensures smaller and well-hidden scars, contributing to a more aesthetically pleasing outcome. This example of implant placement through a transaxillary incision illustrates two points: the well-hidden nature of these scars, and the relative ease of adjusting size to match the breast volumes in cases of asymmetry.
Other approaches can also be utilized: circumareolar incision for saline breast implants, and inframammary incision for saline breast implants. Saline implants are the only option in trans-umbilical breast augmentation (TUBA).The smaller incisions are advantageous for those concerned about visible scarring, providing discreet results.
5. Do Saline Implants Feel the Same as Gel Implants?
Saline breast implants should be filled near the top of their size range to get the most natural feel. If too little volume is in the implants, they feel too loose, if too much volume is placed in the implant, they can feel too firm. When performed properly, the feel of a saline implant is nearly identical to a similar gel implant.
6. Are You a Candidate for Saline Implants?
Saline implants are suitable for candidates over 18, while silicone implants require candidates to be at least 22. In 2006, the FDA allowed surgeons to use silicone implants after an earlier embargo but they insisted that the patients must be 22.
Saline implants present a compelling option in breast augmentation, offering a unique set of advantages that address concerns such as visible scarring. The decision between saline and silicone implants should be made based on personal preferences and a consultation with a professional plastic surgeon.
Schedule a Breast Augmentation Consultation with Dr. Geldner
To learn more about saline implants and determine the most suitable breast augmentation path for you, contact The Geldner Center Plastic Surgery & Med Spa today. The Geldner Center is one of the top Chicago plastic surgery practices for breast augmentation, with an unparalleled run of Allergan Partner awards.
To explore the possibilities of breast augmentation and saline implants, contact The Geldner Center Plastic Surgery & Med Spa today.