Breast Augmentation with Saline Breast Implants
Breast augmentation allows women with naturally small breasts or women who have lost breast volume to increase the size of their breasts. These implants are available in saline and silicone filling materials.
Dr. Schlechter offers saline implants for women in the greater Chicago area.
What Are Saline Breast Implants?
Many women desire larger breasts but are unsure of whether or not they want silicone implants. While silicone implants are more popular, they can rupture undetectably, though there is a low probability of this happening.
Saline implants do not pose this risk. Saline implants consist of a sterile saltwater solution that is encased in a silicone shell. If the implant leaks, the patient notices a deflation.
What Are the Benefits of Saline Breast Implants?
Saline implants:
- Require a smaller incision
- Are approved for women over the age of 18
What Are My Saline Implant Options?
Saline implants are available in a variety of sizes and shapes to meet your desired goals. Your surgeon fills these implants during the augmentation procedure. Therefore, saline implants require a smaller incision than their silicone counterparts.
What Is the Difference Between Smooth and Textured Breast Implants?
Much like their names imply, smooth implants have a non-porous, smooth silicone surface, whereas textured implants have a rough, porous surface that attaches to the natural tissue. Dr. Schlechter does not use textured implants.
Is There an Anatomically Shaped Saline Implant?
Saline implants can be round.
- Round implants provide equal volume to the upper and lower portions of the breast and give women more noticeable cleavage. Round implants can have smooth or textured surfaces.
What Is the Breast Implant Profile?
The implant profile of your saline breast implant determines the base width in comparison to the implant height (or projection).
Implants with the same volume of liquid can look very different depending on their implant profile. Profiles range from low to ultra-high.
- Low profile implants have a wide base and do not project far off of the chest. These are ideal for women with a broader chest wall.
- Moderate profile implants have a narrower base than low profile implants and project further from the chest. These are ideal for women with standard-size chest walls.
- High profile implants have a narrow base and project far off the chest. These are appropriate for women with smaller chest walls.
- Ultra-high profile implants have an even narrower base than high profile implants and are ideal for very petite women or women who are undergoing breast reconstruction.
Who Are the Manufacturers of Saline Breast Implants?
What Are Allergan® Saline Implants?
Allergan® Natrelle® implants are available in both smooth and textured surfaces. These FDA-approved implants can be sized specifically to your goals and provide natural-looking fullness.
Do I Have to Worry About the Allergan® Implant Recall?
In July 2019, the FDA urged Allergan® to recall their BIOCELL® textured saline-filled implants due to a potential correlation between the implants and breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), a rare of lymphoma that develops in the scar tissue around the implant.
While this is a concern for women with these specific implants, this is a very rare condition, and the FDA is not recommending that women remove their implants.
What Are Mentor® Saline Implants?
Mentor® saline implants are filled by your doctor during your surgery to match your desired size. These FDA-approved saline implants are available in round or contoured shapes and may allow you to adjust your breast size over time.
What Are IDEAL IMPLANTS®?
IDEAL IMPLANTS® are the newest line of FDA-approved saline implants. These revolutionary implants offer the look and feel of silicone implants with a saline rather than a silicone fill.
IDEAL IMPLANTS® are saline implants that have an internal structure. This structure includes several chambers that are filled with saline.
These implants offer natural-looking results with a feel similar to silicone gel implants.
What Happens If My Saline Breast Implant Ruptures?
Unfortunately, breast implants can rupture/leak regardless of whether they are saline or silicone.
While many silicone ruptures are silent—meaning that they are not readily noticeable to the naked eye—saline ruptures are identifiable immediately. This is beneficial because it allows you to address the rupture as soon as it occurs.
Your body will harmlessly absorb the saline in your implant, and you will notice an immediate decrease in size.
How Much Does Breast Augmentation With Saline Implants Cost?
The cost of your breast augmentation will vary depending on your geographical location, surgeon’s fees, facility fees, anesthesia fees, pre-surgical tests, and implant selection.
Saline implants are less expensive than silicone implants and may be preferable for women looking to reduce the cost of their breast augmentation.
Dr. Schlechter will provide you with an accurate cost estimate during your consultation once he has had a chance to evaluate your specific needs.
How Should I Maintain My Saline Breast Implants?
Since saline breast implant ruptures are noticeable immediately, there is no reason to undergo an MRI or ultrasound to verify the integrity of the implants. You will be able to tell whether or not your implant has ruptured by looking in the mirror.
Saline breast implants are designed to be long lasting; however, they may not be permanent. As it is impossible to predict the longevity of your breast implants, you will need to be vigilant about any changes in your breast appearance or feel.
Are There Any Downsides to Saline Breast Implants?
While there are many benefits to saline implants, there are also downsides. These downsides are why saline breast implants are often not the first choice among surgeons and patients.
Some of the downsides of saline breast implants include:
- They are not as natural looking as silicone implants
- They are more prone to rippling or wrinkling
- They may be visible in women with thin breast tissue
- They are not as natural feeling
Interested in Learning More?
If you are interested in breast augmentation with saline implants or if you would like to learn more about the difference between saline and silicone implants, contact Dr. Benjamin Schlechter at North Shore Aesthetics by calling (847) 393- 4770 or by filling out our online contact form.
Dr. Schlechter performs breast augmentation and breast revision surgery for women in Northbrook and the greater Chicago area.
