BREAST AUGMENTATION - Bikini contestants who utilize breast implants

Which is better - saline or silicone?

Both saline and silicone implants are considered safe and approved by the FDA. Most surgeons offer both types, and there are advantages and disadvantages to each.

Some patients prefer saline implants because they like the idea of having less silicone in their body in case of an implant leak. The moratorium of the use of silicone implants a few years back regarding a possible link to lupus or auto-immune disorders, although not substantiated by the evidence, left some patients nervous. The saline implants do have a silicone shell.

An advantage of saline implants is that a surgeon can use a transaxillary approach for insertion of the implant. A very small incision is made under the armpit so that the patient has no scarring on the breast, and this appeals to many women. With the proper amount of fill for the implant, and proper placement, the look and feel of saline implants is very natural.

Silicone gel implants can also give patients a very nice, natural result. With silicone implants the incision is made very close to the nipple or hidden under the breast in the fold. Some of the available implants offer a higher or lower profile, and there are varying degrees of firmness associated with each. The choice is really up to the patient and she should discuss advantages and disadvantages of each approach with her doctor. Communication and education are the key in getting the best result. Perhaps selecting a board certified plastic surgeon who offers both choices would give you the most unbiased answers to your question about which implant is right for you.

There will undoubtedly be discussion in the near future about recent news regarding a concern about textured implants and a rare form of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Although no direct causal relationship has been established between textured implants and this very rare form of lymphoma, this may be one reason the FDA has held up approval of any new textured implants. There are several national studies in progress evaluating this important issue.

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