The second choice for American women having breast augmentation surgery is saline implants. They are considered the safest implant, the easier to insert into the breast, and – if necessary – the easiest to replace.

Breast augmentation surgery is the number one most requested cosmetic procedure in the world. During the procedure, an implant is inserted under each breast to increase its size. Nowadays in America, saline implants are the alternative to the controversial silicone gel implants.

The first breast implants were introduced during the 1930s. Several different materials were considered, and silicone gel was the most successful. It met with controversy, however, because of its toxic nature. Years later in the 1990s, the safety issue of the silicone gel implants made the FDA ban them from the American market. Fourteen years later, after much research and clinical trials, the safety concerns were ruled as manageable complications and the FDA approved silicone gel implants for unrestricted American use.

Still, the medical world recognizes the possibility of complications arising from using silicone gel implants. If the implants rupture, silicone gel leaks. An inflammatory reaction to the toxic gel is triggered in the body. Saline implants were invented to prevent that reaction. The existence of the saline implants – filled with non-toxic saltwater – was the answer to the safety controversy clouding the silicone gel implants.

The saline implant has a silicone elastometer shell like the silicone gel implant, but it is filled with a sterile saline solution. The history of this implant can be traced back to the French surgeon H.R. Arion, who introduced it to the world back in 1965.

Immediately upon its introduction, the saline implants became the more favored choice over the silicone gel for many reasons – but safety was number one. They were safer because, if they did rupture, it was only a saltwater solution that was released and absorbed by the body – not toxic silicone gel. They were also less prone to causing complications like capsular contracture, excessive scarring at the incision.

One of the objectives for creating the saline implant was the desire to be able to make a smaller insertion incision. The saline implant made this possible because it is empty when inserted, and then filled with the saline after placement in the body. That means a smaller incision is required to push through the empty implant, and a smaller scar left behind that is easier to hide.

Through the years since their introduction, the saline implant has had various changes and improvements. One significant change that made the implant more durable was the shift to a thicker RTV (room temperature vulcanized) shell. The RTV shell is less prone to ruptures. Even though the saline implant became the only choice of breast implant for American women when the FDA banned the silicone gel implant in the early 1990s, the saline implant never did gain popularity in the rest of the world.

Today, American women still choose between the only two breast implants on our market – silicone gel and saline. The silicone gel implant is favored because most women think it looks and feels more like a real breast, and maybe even because of a mistaken belief that the saline implant will deflate over time.

If you are interested in learning more about the saline breast implant, set up a consultation with a plastic surgeon board-certified in breast augmentation surgery. Most surgeons do not charge for an initial consultation.

If you’re looking for medical advice regarding your plastic surgery decisions, please schedule an appointment with a licensed plastic surgeon in your area.

Author Bio: Learn more at our website: breast lift specialist, saline implants, and breast augmentation recovery.

Category: Womens Interest
Keywords: saline, implant, features, breast