The cosmetic surgery procedure that increases the size of a woman's bust is known as breast augmentation. The enlargement is achieved with the use of breast implants that are surgically placed behind a woman's breasts, either underneath the chest muscle tissue or under the breast tissue itself. Two types of implants are readily available: saline implants or silicone implants. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages which are important to understand as part of planning your surgery.
Saline Breast Implants
A saline breast implant is filled with a sterile salt water solution that is harmless to the body. Saline implants are commonly used in breast augmentation procedures and they have the distinct advantage of leaving shorter surgery scars on a woman's body.
There is also some thought that since these implants contain less material which your body recognizes as foreign, your body has less reaction to this type of implant. Obviously this can be an advantage in breast enlargement.
The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved saline implants for use in breast augmentation. This type of implant is also considered to cause fewer problems on the rare occasions when an implant ruptures. Furthermore, the saline implant seems to be less prone to the breast augmentation complication of capsular contracture, which is the tightening of the natural tissue lining that forms around any type of implant, breast or otherwise.
Silicone Breast Implants
The material within a silicone breast implant is derived from the element silicon that has metal-like properties. However, during chemical processing the silicon is transformed into the silicone molecule that is a polymer that can be formed into a liquid, gel, or rubbery substance.
The FDA has also approved silicone breast implants for breast augmentation, and they enjoy some advantages over saline implants. For example, silicone breast implants are lighter weight and therefore more resistant to the normal forces of sagging over the years. Also silicone breast implants have a more natural look and feel. They are less likely than saline implants to show any rippling or palpable edges through your flesh.
As with any implant, the possibility of capsular contracture remains, and some in the medical community consider the silicone implants to have a higher incidence of this condition.
Choosing Your Implant for Breast Augmentation
The type of implant selected for your breast augmentation surgery will be decided by you and your doctor. The structure of your body and your breast enlargement goals will be assessed by your plastic surgeon and used to make this decision. Right now, saline implants are used the majority of the time. But in other countries, such as in
Your motivations for seeking breast augmentation are likely similar to the reasons of other women. Typically, women desire a fuller bust or they want to rebuild their figure that has been diminished by pregnancy. Although it is natural to desire the full bloom of youth for your body, it is important to be well informed about breast augmentation as you consider your options before going forward with surgery.
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