Women Choose Silicone Breast Implants More Than 2 to 1 Over Saline

That was the question asked by ImplantInfo.com in its nationwide poll of almost 500 women about to go under the knife. They chose silicone gel breast implants more than 2 to 1 over saline breast implants. When the FDA approved silicone gel breast implants on November 17, 2006, ImplantInfo.com’s breast augmentation discussion board moderators noticed that choosing between silicone and saline breast implants immediately became one of the biggest topics of discussion. Women argued passionately over the merits (and demerits) of both breast implant types. The history of silicone gel in the United States and the very public issues surrounding old silicone gel breast implants contributed heavily to the emotional tenor of some of the discussions.

In the last year, ImplantInfo.com’s moderators noticed a distinct change in the tenor of the conversations about silicone and saline breast implants. As more women posted about their positive experiences with the new silicone gel breast implants, the arguments grew less passionate and the choices seemed increasingly to favor silicone. The poll results back up those observations with strong empirical evidence.

ImplantInfo received 481 responses from women who were planning to have breast augmentation surgery. Of the total, 278 women, or 58% , elected silicone breast implants. Only 115 women, or 24%, chose saline breast implants. Interestingly, 82 women, or 17%, were still undecided. Only 6 women out of 481 said they did not care if they received silicone or saline breast implants. Plastic surgeons seem to be seeing the same choices in their practices. Dr. Richard Baxter of Seattle, WA says, “Our practice is 3 to 1 silicone to saline and it converted pretty quickly after FDA approval.” When asked why, Dr. Baxter pointed out that he participated in the adjunct study of silicone breast implants. “We were able to tell women that we used silicone for 10 years. That gave them the confidence to choose silicone breast implants.” While silicone breast implants may be more popular than saline, there are valid reasons, both medical and emotional, for wanting saline breast implants. For example, Dr. Baxter uses saline breast implants when a woman has a small size discrepancy because he can fine tune the amount of saline fill to give her symmetrical breasts.

Saline breast implants cost less than silicone breast implants. If breast augmentation cost is an issue, saline may be a better option. This can be especially true if the patient has a lot of natural padding to cover the breast implant. Women with a lot of breast tissue to cover the implant won’t be able to feel the implant itself beneath the natural breast tissue says Dr. Baxter. Finally, emotion can play a part in the decision too. Some women simply don't want to put silicone breast implants in their body. For those women, saline lets them sleep better at night.

Many women closely follow the status of the FDA trials for form stable silicone gel breast implants, more commonly known as “gummy bear” breast implants. These are the next generation of silicone gel breast implants. While widely anticipated, they may not be for everyone. Dr. Baxter states that they may only be appropriate in 15-20% of cases, for example in women who have an oval rather than a round base. You should discuss gummy bear breast implants carefully with your plastic surgeon if you think you are interested in them. While fashions change and medical technology continues to improve, women seem to have fallen in love with silicone gel breast implants. The move to silicone and away from saline happened quickly and, so far, seems very successful. Come to ImplantInfo.com’s discussion boards and find out for yourself what women are saying! Silicone Gel Resource Center
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