What is the difference between saline and silicone breast implants?

What are the pros and cons of each. does it really matter? Which kind is "softer" if you were only going to go up to a full B or a small C. ?








Just Trying to do a little research for a possible future surgery. Thanks

What is the difference between saline and silicone breast implants?
Some surgeons feel that silicone implants have a more natural look and feel than saline implants because silicone gel has a texture that is similar to breast tissue. Saline implants have some advantages over silicone implants. Silicone implant ruptures are harder to detect. When saline implants rupture, they deflate and the results are seen almost immediately. When silicone implants rupture, the breast often looks and feels the same because the silicone gel may leak into surrounding areas of the breast without a visible difference. Replacing a ruptured silicone gel implant is more difficult than repairing a saline implant. Silicone implants also have a higher rate of capsular contracture and a higher deflation rate.


Saline implants have a silicone rubber shell that is inflated to the desired size with sterile saline. Most implants have a valve that is sealable by the surgeon.





There are two types of saline-filled implants. One type is a fixed volume implant, which is filled with the entire volume of saline at implantation. Another type is an adjustable volume implant, which is filled intraoperatively and has the potential for further postoperative adjustment.





Silicone implants have a silicone rubber shell that is filled with a fixed amount of silicone gel. Each implant has a patch that covers the manufacturing port of the implant.





Silicone implants vary in shell surface (smooth/textured), shape, profile, volume, shell thickness, and number of shell lumens. Most silicone gel-filled implants are not adjustable.