Implants - Silicone v.s. Saline

I am having trouble deciding on implants and am scheduled for BL/BA  on 2/26! I woud love to hear feedback from those of you who have gone through the surgery already. What has your experience been?

Thanks!!!!

Hi n24!!

congrats on your upcoming surgery!!  i am now 3.5 weeks out from my BA/BL.  i also had a TT as well.  for me, the BL/BA was a cinch.  it was a little uncomfortable, but nothing major.  i had 500cc silicones under the muscles placed and so far am loving them. 

i did a lot of reseach prior to the surgery to figure out what i wanted, saline vs silicone.  there are definate pros and cons to each, so it will be an individual choice you will have to make based on the information you find in your search.  www.makemeheal.com has a really good message board that specifically addresses augmentation issues.

good luck in your upcoming surgery, and please let me know if i can answer any questions for you.

kim

I'm 3 out from my BL/BA and love them so far. The surgery was easy for me and had no pain from the breast (not sure if it's cuz the thighs had my attention). I have 234 cc's silicone implants. My Dr. doesn't use saline anymore unless it's a special cir****tance. I just trusted him to know what was the best kind to use. I have mine under the muscle. Everyone tells me they look and feel natural.

Best wishes to you on your upcoming surgery and your choice on what implants to get.

Sonya

Hiya,

I just went to my BL/BA consult. I really trust my surgeon, he already did my LBL and will be doing my arms at the same time as my breasts.

I think there are a lot of factors to consider and most of them are very person dependent. Based on the current state of your breasts, tissue and skin.

After my exam my surgeon felt that if I chose saline implants the ripples would probably be visually apparent because of the small amount of breast tissue I have left after wls and because of the state of my skin. Because of that assessment and because I preferred the more "natural" feel of the silicone implants, that is how I made my decision. I did a lot of research on safety of them (I am getting gummy implants).

Women with either type of implant are very happy, I'd just suggest listening to the advice you get from surgeons at consults, they are the experts.

Your doctor should not be the one to decide on his/her own which type or size of implants you will have.  Offering guidelines is really their role. 

In a nutshell the benefits of gel implants are:

More natural or lifelike "feel."  Especially in very thin individuals who do not have much breast tissue. 

Low rupture rate of 1.1% at 6 years for at least one companies device.

The disadvantages include:

A need for an MRI (at your own expense probably) 5-7 years down the road to check for rupture.  This is the company and the FDA's recommendation.  Regular mammograms will not suffice.

A larger incision to place the implant (not applicable if you are having a lift)

A concern amongst some individuals about an association with autoimmune diseases (like lupus, fibromyalgia, etc).  Patients who already have these conditions are advised against having gel implants, and individuals who worry about these disease may be better off with saline implants.

Higher expense.

The rates of infection, capsular contracture, patient satisfaction, and overall aesthetic outcome slightly favor gel implants but I don't regard that as "hard data." 

What's important is getting the facts, asking questions,  and making  the decision that's right for you.

Thanks for the reply! I have been researching as much as possible. I really think I am leaning towards the silicone/gel as of now, but I still have a few weeks  . . .