The type of implant that you receive can influence quite a bit about your surgery and your life. Each type of implant has a distinct feel. Saline is known to have a firmer feel, while silicone breast implants are designed to feel softer, more like natural breast tissue.
The appearance of your breasts is also affected by the type of implant that you choose. Saline implants tend to look firmer and fuller at both the upper and lower poles of the breast. Silicone breast implants, on the other hand, are more similar to the natural curvature of the breasts. With silicone breast implants, your augmented breasts may be slightly sloped at the upper pole, with organic-looking fullness at the bottom pole.
Your incision type will be dictated by the type of implant you choose. Because silicone breast implants are pre-filled, they require longer incisions for safe insertion without excess stretching of the skin. Saline breast implants may be inserted through shorter incisions because they are not filled until they are in place.
Both types of breast implants may need to be replaced at some point. Replacement may be necessary if a rupture occurs, which may be noticeable if you have saline implants. In that situation, the saline leaks from the implant shell and gets safely absorbed by the body. The affected breast will look noticeably deflated. A rupture in a silicone implant may not be noticed at all, and, depending on the structure of the implant, cohesive or not, the silicone gel may migrate into surrounding tissue, potentially causing complications. It is important to receive routine breast screenings that can monitor the structural integrity of silicone breast implants and prevent unidentified leakage.