By: Andrew Smith, MD

With all the press that the new “gummy bear” implants have been getting in the last few years, I’ve seen a lot more breast enlargement patients who want to “upgrade” their saline breast implants to silicone gel.

Replacing saline implants can be a good choice, since silicone gel implants tend to look and feel a lot more natural. In some cases I’ll recommend against implant replacement based on the patient’s physical characteristics, but beyond the “saline to silicone” switch, there are several other reasons a woman might want to consider a revision breast surgery procedure.

Choosing to Change Out Implants

1 – Sizing Changes – I tell my patients to think of their breast enlargement goals from a long term perspective. For instance, ask yourself, “What size will I still be happy with 10 years from now?” Even with a long term view in mind, some women find that their needs and desires have changed, and many of these patients will decide on silicone implants that are smaller or larger than their existing implant size.

2 – Scar Correction – In some cases a patient will decide to switch out her saline implants for silicone-gel because the saline ones ruptured or developed scar tissue. While the research hasn’t shown a significant difference in the scarring risk between saline and silicone gel implants, when I remove scar tissue around an implant there will be a little less breast tissue to work with. Silicone gel implants can compensate for the difference without the drawbacks (a “tight” feel or a rippled surface) that may occur with saline.

3 – Paired Procedures – Many Orange County breast enlargement patients will choose to get a lift later on in their lives (especially after having children), and some women will choose to switch out their implants as part of their lift procedure.

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