Saline breast implants are used to increase the bust size or create more fullness
especially in the cleavage and upper poles.
However, these devices are also used to reconstruct the breasts after
mastectomy or cancer surgery in which the affected tissue or tumor is removed.
Saline implants vary in volume (defined by cubic centimeter
or cc), shell thickness, shape (round vs teardrop), and shell surface (smooth
vs textured). They are also available in
inflatable and prefilled version.
In the US, only the inflatable saline implants are
available, meaning they are filled at the time of breast augmentation surgery.
With this design, plastic surgeons can insert the device using a very small incision, thereby
minimizing the appearance of scars.
By contrast, prefilled saline and silicone gel implants
require longer incisions.
As its name suggests, saline implant is filled with saline,
which is a sterile mixture of salt and water.
And with its content, there is no serious risk in case of leak, although
the tradeoff is that the affected breast will immediately look deflated and
will need a revision surgery.
On the other hand, a leak in silicone implants that is undetected for a long period of time can
lead to inflammation of the tissue, pain, and discomfort. Because of such risks, patients with this
implant type are required to undergo regular MRI breast screening at least
every two years.
In the US, the typical size of saline implant ranges between
120cc and 850cc, although women who want to go larger will need custom-made
implants. But because of the risks
associated with extreme sizes, most plastic surgeons would likely decline any
surgery to patients who are “going overboard.”
All inflatable saline implants have valves, which are often
located in front. Most manufacturers use
diaphragm valve; it has a “male portion” at the end of its tubing that when
snapped into the “female receptor hole,” is left into the implant shell,
thereby sealing the device.
Meanwhile, women with limited tissue or small breasts are
often advised to stay away from saline implant because it can lead to unnatural
outcome (the bosom appears unusually round).
By contrast, patients with ample amounts of tissue have no problem with
this implant; in fact, there is no visible difference if they use silicone or
saline.
Because of the watery consistency, saline implants may lead
to sloshing effect, thus increasing the risk of downward displacement. To avoid this problem, many plastic surgeons
intentionally overfill the shell with saline solution.
