Both saline and silicone breast implants are safe and effective for breast augmentation. Saline breast implants are filled with a sterile salt water solution, the same kind used to supply fluid in surgical drips. Silicone breast implants are filled with coherent silicone gel that is medical grade and shown to be largely bio-inert (it doesn’t interact with body tissue). In the past, there were safety scares about silicone gel, but these have not been shown to be supported by scientific evidence. The primary advantage of saline breast implants is that they are more flexible surgically. Because they come from the factory uninflated they can be inserted using smaller breast augmentation incisions and more easily using the incision in the armpit so you can have breast augmentation without a scar on the breast. They can also be adjusted during the surgery to fine-tune their exact size, which can be especially valuable for women looking to correct breast asymmetry, which requires subtle attention to the size of the two breast implants. The primary advantage of silicone breast implants is that they look and feel more like natural breast tissue. Saline breast implants tend to be either over-firm, or too soft and are more likely to show visible rippling in the breast. Deciding which type of breast implant is right for you depends on a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon you trust. Please contact Dr. David A. Bottger in Philadelphia today for a consultation.