Should I Upgrade My Breast Implants from Saline to Silicone?

Breast augmentation involves deciding on what kind of implants to get. A lot of people have had the question through the years whether they should upgrade from saline to silicone breast implants.

Dr. Truong has answered this so many time that he put out a blog post about it that you can read below:

Chicago Breast & Body Aesthetics and Mentor® are encouraging patients to consider upgrading your existing saline breast implants to their state-of-the-art Mentor MemoryGel Silicone breast implants.  Keep reading to get answers to some FAQ’s by the doctors regarding upgrading your implants.
Why should you upgrade my saline implants to gel implants?

Although very safe and reliable, saline implants cannot compare to MemoryGel implants when it comes to natural look and feel.  If you have saline implants, you may notice that they don’t quite feel like natural breast tissue.  You may even notice a “shelf” or sharp transition from chest wall to breast, or even some rippling at the edges.  All of these things contribute to an unnatural look and feel.  MemoryGel implants are made of a cohesive gel material that not only mimics the feel of your natural breast tissue, but also tends to sit more naturally and are less likely to show rippling at the edges, resulting in a more natural looking breast as well.  Not only will you FEEL the difference, you will SEE the difference as well!

Who qualifies for the upgrade?

Anyone who currently has saline implants.  MemoryGel™ cohesive silicone implants were approved by the FDA for use in breast augmentation in the U.S. in 2006.  If you had breast augmentation done prior to that time chances are you have saline implants.  Regardless of when or where you got your saline implants, or what kind they are, you can get them replaced with MemoryGel™ implants!

Are silicone gel implants as safe as saline?

Silicone gel implants are very safe.  Prior to gaining approval by the FDA, Mentor MemoryGel implants were subject to rigorous studies in which data was collected in patients receiving silicone gel implants for breast reconstruction.  Thousands of patients were followed for many years and new patients are being followed as well.  To date, there has been no concrete evidence that MemoryGel™ implants pose any health risks above and beyond saline implants – including cancer, collagen vascular diseases, or chronic pain syndromes.  The rupture rates are very similar, and because the filling is a cohesive gel and not a liquid, it will not disperse on rupture like a liquid.  Older silicone implants were filled with a syrup-like silicone liquid wich did tend to flow out, but the cohesive gel in MemoryGel™ implants will stay in place – a bit like if you cut into a Gummy Bear or marshmallow.  Based on scientific data, we have no reservations in recommending MemoryGel implants for our patients.  In fact over 90% of our augmentations are now performed with silicone gel implants with excellent long-lasting results.

How is the replacement surgery performed and who should perform it?

As with any surgical procedure, you should make sure your surgeon is qualified to perform the procedure.  Dr. Truong is a fellowship-trained, board-certified surgeon who has undergone extensive training and are certified by Mentor© to use MemoryGel™ implants.  The surgery will be performed at an accredited surgery center under general anesthesia which will be administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist.  In general, we like to use your previous incision if you have an infra-mammary or a nipple incision.  If your first surgery was done via an armpit incision, we will likely have to make a new incision elsewhere as it is usually not possible to place gel implants through an armpit incision.  The procedure will generally take about an hour, and you will be able to go home shortly after.  Everyone heals differently, but you can expect your recovery to be a bit easier than the first surgery.

I’m ready to feel the difference! What do I do next?

Call our office to make an appointment with Dr. Truong.  Appointments are available at Monday through Friday.  Mention this blog, and we will waive your $150 consultation fee.  For more details and photos, visit us as ChicagoBreastAndBody.com.  

Call today for a consultation!  (312)846-1529.  

The original article was written for Dr. Truong’s Tampa Bay practice, which you can find.

For more information about different kinds of breast implants.

Go here for more information on and get educated on everything to do with this plastic surgery procedure, read on:

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