Once you make the initial decision to get a breast augmentation, the decision-making process is truly just beginning. It may seem simple to decide on the breast implant size and breast shape you would like, but there are actually several key decisions that help create those particular outcomes, such as:
- Incision location
- Implant type (saline or silicone) and texture
- Implant placement (above or below the muscle)
While no breast augmentation decision is right nor wrong, certain choices will offer advantages for certain patients based on their anatomy and unique goals. Dr. Batra works with every patient to help them make the surgical decisions that arrive at the result they desire. In this blog, we will help guide you through one of the main breast augmentation decisions: saline vs. silicone.
Saline
Saline breast implants are made of a silicone outer shell filled with saltwater, and they are FDA approved for breast augmentation in women 18 and older. They have the advantage of requiring only a small incision since they are placed into the breast empty during surgery. This advantage allows for more options with incision location. Saline implants can also be easily adjusted during surgery to correct asymmetry; one implant can be filled with more saline solution than the other as needed. These implants are often placed below the pectoral muscles, but women with adequate natural breast tissue can have them placed above the muscles. Saline implants come in a variety of sizes and projections and produce a full, firm feel that many women are very happy with.
Silicone
Silicone implants are the more popular choice among patients, and they are FDA approved for breast augmentation in women 22 and older. They are made of a silicone shell filled with silicone gel that feels very natural to the touch. Silicone implants come in a variety of sizes, shapes, projections, and textures and provide a very natural-looking result. They, too, can correct asymmetry. The “teardrop” shaped silicone implant is one option that mimics the natural tapered shape of a breast and therefore provides a very natural-looking result. Silicone implants can be placed either above or below the pectoral muscles and can be inserted through the periareolar incision (around the areola) or the inframammary incision (beneath the breast along the crease).
Whether you would like a size increase, improved breast shape, a breast lift, or asymmetry correction, Dr. Batra will simplify the decision-making process during your consultation. Dr. Batra performs over 300 breast augmentation surgeries per year and has been awarded Black Diamond Status by Allergan. Together, you and Dr. Batra will determine the surgical choices that will meet your needs.