Posted: June 20, 2018
If you want breast augmentation, call Indianapolis Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Joseph Fata to learn about silicone and saline breast implants. Dr. Fata will review the pros and cons of both silicone breast implants and saline breast implants during your consultation.
A History of Silicone Implants in Breast Augmentation
Silicone implants were the preference for most women in the Indianapolis, Indiana area having breast augmentation until 1990, when a small group of women claimed they had contracted immune system diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, as a result of breast augmentation with silicone implants. Breast augmentation with saline implants was never implicated.
There was no evidence to support this claim, but there was none to refute it. As a result, the FDA withdrew approval for silicone implant use in cosmetic breast augmentation.
After 15 years of clinical research on silicone implants in breast augmentation, researchers concluded that silicone implants did not cause immune system diseases. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American College of Rheumatology, and plastic surgeons throughout Indiana agreed, and the FDA approved the use of silicone implants for cosmetic reast augmentation in November of 2006.
During this hiatus, researchers developed a new type of silicone breast implant containing silicone that behaved more like a very soft solid rather than a liquid substance. In the unlikely case of a breast implant leak after breast augmentation, the silicone would remain confined and be less likely to spread into the surrounding tissues.
Advantages of Silicone Implants in Breast Augmentation
Indiana plastic surgeons and patients agree that silicone implants look and feel softer and more like a breast compared with saline implants. The difference in feel is important for women having breast augmentation who are thin with little body fat or breast tissue to cover the breast implant.
Silicone implants also have a more natural shape after breast augmentation compared with saline implants. If you want to improve your breast shape, silicone implants are more effective.
If you need a breast lift with your breast augmentation, silicone implants are more effective in achieving improvement in both breast size and breast shape.
Advantages of Saline Implants in Breast Augmentation
Saline implants are seldom chosen by women considering breast augmentation in the Indianapolis, Indiana area because over the past 9 years the safety profile of silicone and saline breast implants have been comprable. If you already have a desirable breast shape and enough breast tissue to cover the implant, the differences in shape and feel may be less significant.
If you have asymmetric breasts, the final breast implant volume of saline implants can be adjusted during breast augmentation surgery. However, this advantage may not be enough to offset the benefits of a more natural breast shape and feel with silicone implants.
In the unlikely case of a breast implant leak after breast augmentation, your body will harmlessly reabsorb the saline. You will notice a decrease in breast volume and the saline breast implant can easily be replaced. Although a silicone implant leak is not likely to spread, it is possible that a small silicone breast implant leak that is not causing symptoms and has not changed the breast shape will be silent.
Schedule Your Appointment
Dr. Fata performs breast augmentation surgery on his patients in Indianapolis, Carmel, and throughout Indiana. He believes that silicone breast implants have improved the overall success for women having breast augmentation. Please contact Renaissance Plastic Surgery online or call 317-575-9152 to determine which breast implant is right for you.
