Although saline and silicone gel implants are available for use at Bayside Plastic Surgery, Melbourne breast augmentation surgeon David Ross generally recommends that patients have saline implants placed during surgery because of their increased safety over silicone implants and ability to produce a comparable aesthetic outcome. Both types of implants were in use in the 1970s; however, only silicone implants were removed from the market since then, due to a higher risk of post-surgical complications such as implant leakage and capsular contracture.

Silicone Implant’s Lack of Long-Term Safety Data

Following the 1992 silicone breast implant moratorium, manufacturers developed a safer type of silicone gel implants, which are less prone to breakage and contain a denser gel. These implants were re-introduced to the Australian market in 2001. Unfortunately, since the new type of silicone implants have not been in use for an extensive period of time, experts have not yet had time to compile long-term clinical safety results for this product.

Saline Implants Contain a Safer Solution

Saline implants, on the other hand, have been placed in millions of women throughout the world for the past 30 years. They were developed in direct response to the concern that when silicone implants rupture or tear, there is a risk of the toxic substance leaking into the body or moving to areas of the body where it can’t be removed. Saline implants contain a saline solution that is naturally found in the body; when it leaks, the body safely absorbs all of the saline solution and the implant deflates, indicating that it has ruptured. The silicone gel implants used by plastic surgeons today contain a thicker gel fluid that is less likely to migrate to other areas of the body, but it is difficult for patients to tell when the implant has ruptured.

Similar Aesthetic Results

In the past, some surgeons and patients preferred silicone gel implants over saline implants because they felt and looked more natural than silicone implants. The development of improved breast augmentation techniques allows surgeons to achieve similar results with saline implants by placing the implants below the pectoralis muscle, rather than above it. Placing implants below the chest muscle provides more muscle and tissue coverage over the implants so they look and feel as natural as possible.

Because saline and silicone implants are both capable of producing a natural looking result, Melbourne plastic surgeon David Ross typically prefers use of saline implants due to their long-term safety results. Patients that are thin and lack natural breast tissue may be better candidates for silicone implants, but most other patients are suitable candidates for the placement of saline implants. If you are interested in enhancing your appearance with breast augmentation surgery, contact Bayside Plastic Surgery today.