Saline Breast Implants
Every woman want to feel that her breasts fit her body. For some women, that perfect picture may be of small, firm breasts. For others, it might be a look of voluptuousness that fills out their natural curves. No matter what look you would like see, there is a type of breast implant, either saline breast implants or silicone breast implants that can transform your shape.
It’s Your Choice: Silicone or Saline Breast Implants
Choosing the right breast implant is a key to successful Breast Augmentation or breast enhancement surgery. Your body type and breast goals are personal and are not exactly like any other woman’s. Your surgeon at Criswell & Criswell is one of the best plastic surgeons in North Carolina and will help guide you in your choices. Rest assured that any breast implant you choose in our practice is 100% FDA approved and all have been rigorously tested for safety. The breast implants we use today are the most studied medical devices in history, and the current style of saline breast implants have been approved since 2000.
Choosing your breast implant is a personal choice and you need to be comfortable with the implant you choose. That is why our plastic surgeons at Criswell & Criswell have performed so many breast augmentations for our patients using saline breast implants. The implant is filled with salt water (saline), which is very similar to natural body fluids. If the implant were ever to leak, the salt water is just absorbed by your body. The implant would then deflate, and you would come back in for a replacement. This is extremely rare, but the comfort of knowing that it is salt water makes this a good choice for some of our patients.
Another reason our patients have chosen saline breast implants is that the scar from the surgery is smaller than that from silicone breast implants. Since the implant is placed into the breast pocket before it is inflated, it allows your plastic surgeon to make a very small opening to place it (a little more than one inch).
And while implant choice is a personal one, made between you and your surgeon, there are disadvantages to using saline breast implants. These implants may not feel as natural as silicone breast implants and may tend to ripple or wrinkle more. Women who are fit with little body fat may find that saline breast implants show more than gel breast implants would.
Saline breast implants are FDA approved for women between the ages of 18 and 21, while the silicone breast implants are currently only approved for women aged 22 and older. Depending on your surgical needs, the saline implants may also be less expensive than silicone gel.
Recovery and Care
Immediately following your surgery, the first step is to relax in our recovery room, overseen by our licensed registered nurse. You can remain there until you are fully awake, at which point you will be released to go home. Transportation should be arranged beforehand, as you will not be permitted to drive for 24 hours following the surgery.
While we recommend waiting a full week before returning to work, some patients are able to do it in 5 or 6 days, provided the work does not require physical strain. Normal bras and bikini tops may be worn once two weeks have passed. Exercise and any sort of strenuous activity are prohibited for the first five days following surgery. Light exercise may be resumed at this point, but more vigorous physical activity should not take place until three weeks since surgery.
Your relationship with our office is not over once the procedure is complete. For the weeks and months following the surgery, we are at your disposal—you are more than welcome to call whenever you like with any questions or concerns. Additionally, there will be several follow up appointments with your surgeon to check on the healing process. This will include information regarding breast health, including self-examination, exercise, sleeping habits and any future need for imaging or mammography.
Your Body, Your Choice
If you’re like most of our patients, at your consultation you will be excited to look at and try on different types of breast implants. The physicians and staff at Criswell & Criswell Plastic Surgery have the knowledge and expertise to help you choose the best breast implants for your body and your goals. Please call or email our patient care coordinator.
