Augmentation Decisions

The decision to have breast augmentation is obviously a life-changing one. For a woman who has never been happy with her breasts, these surgeries with Dr. Lipton can provide a whole new sense of self-confidence and a whole new body image.

But beyond the basic decision to move forward, there are a host of other decisions you’ll be making with Dr. Lipton as you move toward your surgery date. In October’s two blogs, let’s go through these decisions.

Saline versus silicone

You’ll choose between saline implants and silicone implants. Actually, both types of implants feature a medical silicone shell; it’s what’s filling the implants that decides the type.

Saline implants are filled with sterile saline solution. There are two main advantages to saline. First, the implants can be placed empty because they are filled once Dr. Lipton has placed them in the breast pocket. This allows saline implants to be placed through smaller incisions, such as around the areolae. Second, if a saline implant ruptures, your body simply absorbs the harmless saltwater.

The downsides to saline are feel and the possibility of rippling. It’s generally thought that saline implants don’t feel as much like natural breast tissue as silicone does. Also, because the saline solution isn’t as dense as silicone gel, implants placed atop the chest muscle can sometimes show rippling on the surface skin.

Silicone implants are filled with medical-grade silicone gel. The gel used to fill today’s implants is much more cohesive than in earlier decades. What does this mean? The gel tends to stay with itself, rather than moving. This means if a silicone gel implant ruptures, the gel typically stays mostly within the shell, rather than moving out into the breast pocket. Silicone implants are also thought to feel more like natural breast tissue.

On the downside, silicone implants need to be placed already filled, as they are filled to the size denoted at the factory. That means a larger incision will typically be required. This is especially true for larger size implants. Also, during a rupture, many women find it disconcerting that they could have silicone loose in their breast. As mentioned above, today’s gel tends to stay with the implant shell, but it is still a consideration.

About rupture, there is something else to consider. No matter the type of implant, once a rupture occurs the implant shell will need to be removed surgically. In the case of silicone, any silicone that exited the shell will also need to be removed, but this is very straightforward. With saline implants, a rupture will be obvious, as the breast will deflate as the saltwater is absorbed. With silicone, a rupture won’t typically be obvious. That’s why MRIs are suggested by the FDA every two years with silicone implants, just to be sure they have not ruptured.

OK, so that’s your first decision with augmentation. In October’s second blog, let’s get into a few other choices you’ll make, such as implant projection.

If you’re interested in talking with Dr. Lipton about possible breast augmentation, please give us a call at (972) 420-0023 to set up a consultation.

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