Breast Implant Options

There are many decisions you’ll face during your breast augmentation, but the choice that women think about the most is choosing the right breast implants. The right combination of size, profile and type of implant is essential for ensuring the best breast augmentation results.

Request a consultation to meet with one of our cosmetic surgeons and learn more about your options for breast implants.

The first decision to make is the choice between saline or silicone breast implants. Although either type of implant can give very positive results in the right candidate, there are pros and cons to each, so it’s important to know all the facts ahead of time.

• Saline Breast Implants

  Saline breast implants are FDA-approved for cosmetic use in women over the age of 18, and have a silicone outer shell that’s filled with a sterile saltwater solution. The main advantage of saline breast implants is that they’re less expensive than their silicone counterparts. Also, since saline implants are inserted empty and filled after placement, your surgeon can use smaller incisions during your breast augmentation. In the event that the implant leaks, deflation can occur quickly as the saline is harmlessly absorbed by the body.

  However, there are some disadvantages to saline as well, such as the tendency for surface ripples or wrinkling to appear. This is particularly noticeable in slender women with little natural breast tissue, which can make saline a less desirable choice for those women who are most likely to benefit from breast augmentation. Saline implants can also feel firmer compared to silicone, and may give your breast a more rounded, dramatic appearance after augmentation.

• Silicone Breast Implants

  Silicone breast implants have the same type of outer shell as saline implants, but they’re filled with silicone gel that has the consistency of jelly rather than liquid. The thickness of silicone gel means implants won’t deflate, because the gel stays in place even if there’s a breach in the outer shell. Because leaks are hard to detect visually or by touch, the FDA recommends getting regular MRI scans after your breast augmentation when silicone implants are used.

  The texture of silicone implants feels more like soft breast tissue compared to breast augmentation performed with saline implants, which makes silicone the preferred choice by the majority of women undergoing breast augmentation today, as well as the preference of most cosmetic surgeons. The best breast augmentation results are often achieved using silicone breast implants, as they lend a very natural look and feel to your breasts after surgery.

• Breast Implant Size

  Both silicone and saline implants are measured by volume in cubic centimeters (cc’s) rather than by cup size. Your surgeon will help you better understand how to choose the right implants to meet your cosmetic goals. Many women find that bringing in photos of their “dream look” can help ensure that your surgeon understands exactly the result they hope for, as terms like “natural” or even listing a specific bra size can be very objective.

• Other Breast Implant Options

  Breast implants also have specific profiles, which is the distance they project from the chest wall. A low profile implant has a wide base, while a high profile implant is taller and narrower. Implants may be round or teardrop-shaped, and the outer shell may be smooth or textured. Finally, your outcome will also be impacted by the placement of your breast implants (over the muscle or under) and your preference for incision placement.

• Your New Look

  By looking at all the different qualities of breast implants and understanding how these elements work together to give you the best possible breast augmentation result, your surgeon can help you feel confident that you’re making the breast implant decision that’s right for you.