What are the pros and cons of silicone gel fill vs saline fill?
Both the silicone-gel-fill and the saline-fill implants are excellent. But they have many differences between them. The implant lifespan, that is the time until failure, is the same for silicone-fill as for saline-fill. The major differences concern the eventual failure of the implants: • How to tell when the implant has failed. Saline: • The failure is obvious to the woman, as the size decreases. • No special testing such as ultrasound or MRI is needed. Silicone: • The failure is undetectable to the woman, as the size does not change. • Special testing, such as ultrasound or MRI, is required. • How to get the failed implant out. Saline: • A tiny incision is enough, because the capsule stays in place. • A new saline implant can be placed through that tiny incision. • A new silicone implant requires a larger incision. Silicone: • A fairly large incision is needed, because the capsule needs removal. • The new implant can be saline or silicone. • How quickly the operation should be perfor
