How Long Can You Keep Saline Breast Implants?
Whatever the implant may be, women you have implants should plan to have some type of re-surgery after every 10 to 15 years. This surgery may include size change, change of the implant and so on. In general, women can keep saline breast implants for ten years safely. After that the risk of implant rupture increases. It is important to discuss the longevity of the implants with the surgeon well before the surgery.
What are the Advantages of Saline Breast Implants?
Saline breast implants are considered to be safer than silicone implants. This is because saline implants contain a sterile solution of salt and water. In case of leakage or rupture, the body can take the solution without any harm done. Leakage with these implants occur almost right after the rupture because the solution goes out of the plastic lining. Rupture of silicone breast implants cause serious health issues. The risks of the breast implants to be used should be discussed with the doctor. Apart from this, the cost of saline implants is much lower than the silicone implants.
What are the Disadvantages of Saline Breast Implants?
The disadvantages of saline breast implants may include:
Leakage: Saline breast implants are said to reveal the ripples in their inner lining easily because salt water solution do not provide as much outward resistance as silicone. This particularly becomes a problem for women with thinner breasts because they do not have lot of breast tissues to be placed over the implants.
Formation of Scars: Saline breast implants carry a risk of capsular contracture. Capsular contracture is a potential complication which involves formation of scar tissues which squeeze the implants and cause the breasts to harden.
Who Can Go For Saline Breast Implants?
Women can go for saline breast implants in case-
Reconstruction or Augmentation: Saline breast implants can be done by women who require breast enlargement or breast reconstruction.
Self Esteem: Women who have been unhappy about the size and shape of their breasts can go for saline breast implants.
Mothers: Women who have lost the shape and volume of the breasts due to age or childbirth can go for saline breast implants. These implants increase the breast size and restore the lift and contour.
Health: It must be remembered that women planning to go for breast implants should be in good health. She should not be pregnant or nursing.
What are the Risks of Going for Breast Implants?
If a patient thinks about going for breast implant, it is important to understand the risks associated with such implants. One has to keep in mind that the risks following breast implants:
Sagging: Breast implants do not prevent them from sagging. In order to correct sagging breasts a breast lift surgery may be required in addition to breast augmentation.
Time Frame: Breast implants do not last for a lifetime. The implants may rupture and thus there is a need to have the implants removed or go for re-surgery after 8 to 10 years.
No Breast Feeding: Breast implants may hamper breast feeding and thus implants cannot be placed if a woman is nursing.
Insurance: Breast implants are not covered by insurance if it is not a medical necessity. Medical necessity may be needed in case a patient has to undergo reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer. Thus the patient has to handle all the expenditure in case of breast augmentation along with the related surgeries and future tests.
Surgery: Additional surgery may be needed after the breast implant removal. The patient will have to undergo a breast lift surgery or other additional surgery in order to help the breasts maintain an aesthetic appearance.
