Silicone or Saline? Options for Breast Augmentation

June 21, 12:13 PMBaltimore Health and Beauty ExaminerDr. Jeffrey E. Schreiber

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So, you've decided to explore your options for enlarging your breasts...now what?  The first place to start would be your local plastic surgeon.  Be careful about what you find on the internet because everything you read may not be true.  When you see a plastic surgeon, go in with an open mind and ask a lot of questions.  See several plastic surgeons to get a feel for what you want in your plastic surgeon as well as your options for breast enlargement.  Once you think you know who you want to do your surgery, consider several things.  First, how big do you want to be?  Try finding pictures of breasts that you like and show them to  your plastic surgeon.  You can also take samples of implants and place them inside your bra.  This will give you a gross estimate of how large you want your implants to be. 

Second, silicone or saline?  Silicone implants are FDA approved for use in cosmetic breast augmentation as well as breast reconstruction.  Silicone looks more natural and feels more natural than saline implants in many patients who have experienced both kinds.  Take some time to feel the actual implants to see the difference for yourself.  Talk to your plastic surgeon about the specific risks associated with each implant, but know that if the silicone implant ruptures that it will not pose any significant health risk to you.

Third, do you want your implants underneath your pectoralis major muscle or underneath your breast tissue?  The differences are small, but if you don't have much breast tissue it's very likely that you'll be encouraged to get you implants placed underneath the muscle to prevent the "implant" look.  Placing them underneath the breast gland will most likely be less painful and still allow you to have natural appearing breasts if you have enough breast tissue to allow this option.

All in all, take your time in deciding who you want your plastic surgeon to be and how you want to go about enlarging your breasts.  If you do look on the internet, be careful!  I would recommend going to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons website for the most up to date and official information.  For a sample of before and after pictures, check out www.DrSchreiberPlasticSurgery.com.