Although the majority of women are happy with their results whether they choose saline or silicone gel implants, there are some differences in the results. Saline implants have the advantage of placement through somewhat smaller incisions and more varied locations. They are also filled at the time of surgery and the size can, therefore, be "fine tuned" intra-operatively. This can be particularly helpful if there is breast asymmetry.

Saline breast implants require a smaller incision for placement and they are less expensive than the silicone breast implants. If the saline implant ruptures your breast will appear deflated and your body will absorb the saline.

Saline implants are filled with a “Normal Saline” solution which is basically sterilized water with added sodium chloride (salt). Should the implant rupture or leak, this saline solution, just like water, would be absorbed completely by your body. Silicone implants are filled with a silicone gel and are currently utilized only under guidelines set by the FDA as part of a long term study of their safety.

The recent FDA approval of silicone gel implants gives women more implant options than ever. Many patients report silicone gel implants feel more like natural breasts and many physicians prefer them for that same reason. Saline implants are time-tested and have advantages as well. Click to breast implant options or to recent articles to read more. And, don't forget that Dr. Stevens or Dr. Stoker will give you plenty of information in your consultation and assist you in making the right choice.

If silicone implants get back on the market, the vast majority of surgeons will use them over saline. Studies have demonstrated their safety profile, and the feel of silicone implants, in most patients, is simply more natural than with saline. Silicone implants are the most common implant used outside of the United States.

Overall silicone implants are softer and feel more natural than saline implants. In addition, silicone implants are much more expensive than their saline counterparts.

It feels more like breast tissue. The gel-like feel is more natural than the fluid-like feel of saline.

Sixty per cent of the human body is made of saline. Therefore, if there is a rupture the saline just gets flushed out of the body. With silicone, the gel remains and is much harder to remove it completely. The incision to put silicone implants in is a little longer than that of saline. This is because saline implants go into the breast empty and then are inflated, silicone implants, on the other hand, go into the body already filled.

The new cohesive gel silicone implants are generally thought to feel more natural than saline filled implants. There is clear scientific evidence that silicone is safe to use. However I will discuss the pros and cons of all the implants with you and the final choice is yours.

It can be effective, but carefully question your surgeon regarding his/her surgical plan. Do as much research as possible. The more incisions that are placed during implant surgery, particularly below the nipple, and on the inferior breast, the greater the chances of complications. I would be very wary of this type of "combined" surgery, particularly with a vertical or infra-mammary incision. Most breast surgeons do not agree, avoid these implants, and have had many problems with them.

Yes, according to the FDA, it is possible for silicone to migrate away from the breast. The free silicone may cause granulomas to form in areas in and around the breast, as well as other areas of the body that the silicone has migrated to, such as the abdomen, arm, armpit, and chest wall. Usually, the free silicone stays within the scar capsule, and does not migrate to other areas.

The silicone gel and cohesive silicone gel implants are pre-filled and must be implanted via the mammary fold or peri-areolar incisions. Imagine implanting an object the size of a large potato via your navel, hence the need for an infra-mammary or peri-areolar incision.

The women who benefit the most from the improved feel and decreased rippling of silicone implants are women with little natural breast tissue. These women do not have much tissue to cover the implant, therefore, the feel of the implant becomes very important.

The Institute of Medicine, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, recently concluded that women with silicone breast implants are no more likely than the rest of the population to develop serious illnesses. The report said that new studies have led to, among others, the following conclusions: There is no evidence suggesting silicone used for breast implants is toxic to humans. There is no established link between implants and a unique disease syndrome.

Currently, most surgeons are using saline implants. For more information on the availability of silicone implants, the advantages and disadvantages of each, and risks associated with each, please refer to the section entitled "Saline Versus Silicone Implants", which can be found in the "Implant Reconstruction" section.

Saline water has a relatively high concentration of dissolved salts. Salt is not just "salt" as we know it - sodium chloride (NaCl) - but can be dissolved calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+) sulfate (S042-), bicarbonate (HC03-) and Boron (B).

Mother Nature never puts its hormones into the stomach which directs the hormones through the liver and metabolizes them for excretion in bile. About 90% of any progesterone taken orally is lost via the bile or converted to metabolites that are not the same. Doses of 100 to 200 mg PER DAY must be taken orally to match the 20 to 24 mg obtained daily through the skin.

In November of 2006, the FDA determined that silicone breast implants are safe for use, and they are now widely available for cosmetic breast augmentation. At your consultation, we will discuss the important issues and reccomendations regarding the new availability of silicone breast implants.

High-strength gel implants differ significantly from liquid-filled saline and silicone implants, and they offer unique advantages. Because they are semi-solid, they maintain their shape and remain in an upright position. Unlike liquid-filled implants, they are not likely to wrinkle, fold or ripple. And liquid-filled implants, when overfilled, can be hard. Gummy bear breast implants feel soft and natural.