Saline Breast Implants—Pros and Cons

Saline breast implants are filled with a sterile saltwater, for this reason, a leak will not result to serious health problems although patients will need revision breast augmentation to correct the deflated-looking bust.

Saline implants are not superior to silicone version, and vice versa.  Patients should realize that the most ideal option largely depends on their anatomical features (e.g., amount of breast tissue) and goals and expectations.

Meanwhile, these are the advantages of saline breast implants:

*  Shorter scar.  In the US, only saline implants filled at the time of surgery are available (currently there is no pre-filled saline implant).  Once the shell is inside the breast pocket, plastic surgeons inject this with a sterile saltwater before closing the incisions.

Because an empty shell can fit in a small incision, patients who will use saline implants should not be concerned with visible scars.

* Lower cost.  Saline implants cost less than the silicone version (around $900 to $1300 cheaper).  The difference in price is due to the reason that the cost of production for these implants is lower.

* No risk of silent leak.  In case of rupture, patients will immediately know it right away.  By contrast, women with silicone implants have to undergo regular MRI screening to detect silent leak.

* Slightly lower risk of capsular contracture.  This complication happens when the scar tissue surrounding the breast implants becomes too thick that it squeezes the devices.  Some studies suggest that women with saline implants are at lower risk of having this problem than patients with silicone version.  While the difference is just 1 percent per year, it can be as high as 10 percent after a decade of having the silicone implants.

On the other hand, saline implants have their own disadvantages such as:

* Less favorable cosmetic result.  Because saline implants are filled with only saltwater, women with little amount of breast tissue cannot achieve a natural result.  However, this is usually not a concern of patients with a moderate to significant amount of tissue and fat.

For patients with little breast tissue, silicone implants are the best option.

* Prone to sloshing

Unlike the silicone implants which are notable for simulating the natural “feel” of tissue, the saline version is prone to sloshing because it is only filled with water.  For this reason, some plastic surgeons intentionally overfill the shell to make the implants firmer.

* Natural deflation

One study has suggested that saline implants have a natural deflation rate of 1 percent per year due to evaporation and other factors.  By contrast, silicone implants maintain their for volume for years except in the event of rupture