BREAST IMPLANT OPTIONS
Deciding between Saline & Silicone Gel Breast Implants Breast implants are silicone shells filled with either saline (salt water) or silicone gel. Saline implants are inserted empty, and then filled with sterile salt water once they’re in place. Silicone implants are pre-filled with silicone gel. The silicone gel is a sticky, thick fluid that is designed to feel like human fat. Both implant types are very safe, and each offers its own advantages. When you arrive for your pre-operative consultation at our Park Avenue or Hackensack, NJ office, Drs. Helen Colen, Steven Colen, or Kari Colen will help you decide which implant type is right for you. During surgery, we will place the breast implants behind each breast, underneath either breast tissue, or the chest wall muscle. When the implant is in place, the incision will be closed — typically with stitches (sutures) — and bandaged with skin adhesive and surgical tape.
After many years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved silicone breast implants for breast augmentation surgery. We are proud to offer patients the option of silicone gel-filled breast implants, since some people believe they are much softer and feel more natural than saline-filled breast implants.
Saline vs. Silicone Breast Augmentation Surgery Incision Techniques Offered at ColenMD
Whether you decide to have a silicone or saline breast implant, there are multiple incision options you can consider. Overall,the breast augmentation procedure lasts one to two hours and is typically performed with general anesthesia. Incisions are made in inconspicuous places on the breast to minimize scar visibility. These may be located:
- In the armpit (transaxillary),
- In the crease on the underside of the breast (inframammary), or
- Around the areola, the dark skin around the nipple (periareolar).
The breast is then lifted, creating a pocket into which the implant is inserted.
Saline breast implants may also be placed endoscopically through an incision in the navel. This breast augmentation technique is known as a transumbilical breast augmentation or TUBA approach. However, we discourage this approach as it limits where the implant can be placed. Dr. Helen Colen, Dr. Steven Colen, or Dr. Kari Colen can explain in further detail and answer any of your questions about incision placement and recovery during your pre-operative consultation at ColenMD.
Click here to contact Colen MD Plastic Surgery and set up a consultation to meet our surgeons Dr. Helen Colen and Dr. Stephen Colen at our Park Avenue Suite in Manhattan or to setup a consultation with Dr. Kari Colen in our New Jersey office located in Hackensack, NJ.
