Breast Enhancement Information - The History Of Saline Implants

Saline breast implants are commonly used in breast augmentation surgeries nowadays as an alternative to the more controversial silicone gel implants. Breast augmentation is currently considered as the number one cosmetic surgery procedure in the field. In such a procedure, implants are placed under a woman's breast area to add to the size of her breasts.

The earliest introduction of breast implants was made in the 1960s. From the first attempt, several different materials were considered for the purpose. One of the successful materials was silicone, but which was also met with controversy due to its harmful complications. Years later, the safety of these implants was questioned. Eventually, however, these concerns were ruled out as manageable complications and silicone implants gained the approval of the FDA.

Nonetheless, the medical surgery world still recognizes the possibilities of complications to arise following a silicone gel breast implant surgery. One common complication is the rupture of the silicone gel implant, which causes a leakage and may trigger an inflammatory reaction within the body. Due to this, an alternative was searched for, and then came saline implants. This means that the very existence of saline implants was also made possible by the controversy regarding silicone gel implants.

The history of saline implants is also quite long, though not as long and controversial as the journey that the silicone breast implants had to go through. These implants have a silicone elastometer shell but with sterile saline in liquid form as its main content. The history of these breast implants can be followed all the way back to the mid-1960s. The first one was introduced back in 1965 by a French surgeon named H.R. Arion.

Upon its invention, saline was positioned as the more favorable choice of breast implant than silicone gel, and the claim was supported by many reasons. There were aesthetic reasons as well as safety reasons. They were said to be safer than the silicone implants. They were found to be less prone to complications such as capsular contracture. And if they leak saline into the body, the saltwater solution will be absorbed by the body.

One of the objectives behind the initial invention of saline implants was the idea of placing an implant using smaller incisions. Sure enough, saline breast implants made this possible. Breast augmentation surgeons simply had to make a small incision then insert the implant before filling it up with saline. This means the implants are empty when first inserted into the body, so the surgery will leave a smaller scar that's easier to hide than the ones left behind by silicone gel implant surgeries.

Saline implants also went through various changes and improvements. One significant change included the shift to thicker RTV or room temperature vulcanized shells that made the implants more durable and less prone to ruptures. Following these improvements, they became very common in the 1990s, especially during the time when the FDA placed a ban on silicone gel implants. However, the popularity of saline implants did not extend to other countries.

Some women tend to choose silicone implants because of certain beliefs that saline breast implants deflate over time. Some also think that silicone gel implants look and feel better and more real following the surgery. Nonetheless, saline implants continue to be a popular alternative to silicone gel breast implants.