Silicone Vs. Saline: Which Breast Is Best?

When a woman undergoes breast enlargement surgery, she definitely wants her new and improved breasts to feel as natural as possible. When given a choice of implant material, it is very important to weigh up the pros and cons of both kinds of implant before making an informed decision about which kind of breast to go for.

The gel used in silicone based breast implants is semi-solid and is reported to look and feel more like a natural breast than a saline implant, due to the viscous texture of the gel feeling like natural body fat. There has been controversy over previous generations of silicone based breast implants rupturing within the breast and causing infection, but thanks to improved technology, that risk has been greatly reduced. The silicone gel in most recent breast implants is called cohesive gel, with a thicker implant shell and if the implant were to rupture, the gel is viscous enough to hold together.

Saline is a sterile salt water solution and can be placed into breast implant shells for breast augmentation. The reassuring aspect of using a saline based breast implant is that a lot of the human body is made up of salt water already, so if the implant were to rupture and leak, the fluid can be safely absorbed. The implant shells are filled with saline solution through a valve, so they can be altered in size after the initial surgery if the patient wants to increase or decrease their breast size.

Having described the two different kinds of breast implant it is also crucial to note the risks accompanied with both silicone and saline implants. Leakage and implant rupture are a risk in both kinds, as is scar tissue around the breast after the surgery. Every patient, especially post-surgery, can be prone to infection and neither choice of either silicone or saline can reduce this risk.

On a lighter note, both saline and silicone breast implants offer similar benefits as well, such as the significant emotional benefits of having breast surgery. Both implants provide correction to asymmetrical breasts, a more robust contour and in some cases, an improved sense of wellbeing and self-esteem. Having made a decision with thorough analysis about which breast implant will benefit a woman the most, she can then reap the many benefits gained from breast enlargement surgery without fear that she has made the wrong choice.