Breast Implants: Gel or Saline?

In the world of breast implants, not all implants are created equal. Patients who decide to have breast augmentation surgery face several choices regarding their surgery, the first of which is often to decide which they prefer: silicone or gel breast implants. Both types of implant have their pros and cons and which one you ultimately select will be based on your body type, how much natural tissue you have to work with and how large you want your new breast size to be. Other factors that will impact your selection include how much you have budgeted to spend and how much you want to continue to spend for follow up care.

Starting with saline, the pros are obvious. The biggest plus to using saline is the fact that any rupture of your implant will be immediately noticeable and safe. Saline is a natural product so its release into your body just means your body will absorb the saline. You shouldn't experience any side effects as a result. Gel implants, on the other hand, can also rupture or leak but the physical indicators of a problem are not as obvious. That's why leaks from a gel implant are called silent ruptures. That can be bad news because the longer you have a ruptured implant that remains in your body, the longer the gel has to escape into your body. And gel, unlike saline is not a natural product so it won't be absorbed into your body. 

Another plus for saline breast implants is the fact that you don't need to have them monitored with MRI's the way gel implants must be monitored. Because of the danger of silent ruptures, the FDA now requires patients with gel implants to get MRI's every year to guard against unknown leakage. 

This can create some very big medical bills that insurance may or may not cover down the road for women with silicone breast implants. And it should figure in to your list of considerations. You can't be forced to undergo the MRI of course, but the condition is in place for your own protection. If you truly can't afford the future medical bills associated with gel implants, you may want to look more closely at saline implants as an option.

Many women report the gel implants look and feel more realistic than saline implants. However, this realism comes with a downside because gel implants require a large incision to be inserted. Saline implants are not pre-filled as gel implants are, and the surgeon can make a smaller incision to insert them. In fact that's another bonus to saline- they can be adjusted after surgery. If one breast appears slightly larger than the other, your surgeon can add more saline to the smaller breast implant in his office with just a needle filled with saline.

If you're intent on receiving breast implants, whichever material you choose should be made to fit your own body. Consult with a cosmetic surgeon to learn which of the two big options is the best fit for you.