When should I exchange my Saline Implants?
While Saline Implants are warrantied for 10 years, our experience in Dr. Dean Kane’s Plastic Surgery Practice in Baltimore that the majority of our patients with Saline Implants do not return for well over 15 to 20 years to exchange them for Silicone Gel implants. The outer Silicone Shell is very durable and have been lasting well over the 10 year beyond the warrantee period. Dr. Kane recommends to his patients that if you are not having any problems with them then leave the implants alone. We have found that our patients who Dr. Kane placed saline implants many years ago, their implants are lasting up to 17 to 20 years before they are deflating or losing volume and returning to Dr. Kane to exchange them.
To find out about Saline Implants in Maryland, call the Center for Cosmetic Surgery & MediSpa at (410) 602-3322 and ask for Lauri Kane. Schedule a Consultation Today
What are some of the reasons why people do change their Saline Implants?
- The saline implants are losing volume and you may experience more rippling along the edge of the implants and they seem to be smaller.
- The saline implants have completely deflated (gone flat) in which case you must take them out.
- Some patients wish to switch to the newer silicone gel implants that no longer have any leaking problems, won’t need to be changed in the future and it is a good time in the patient’s life to change them out.
- Some women want to be bigger or smaller and exchange them for a silicone gel implant to make a size change possibly due to changes in their breasts due pregnancy weight loss and breastfeeding.
- Women experiencing a capsule contraction (hardening around the implant) who want to have surgery to help correct for the contraction.
Are the new Ideal Saline Implants better than the old Saline implants?
In 2014, a new innovation was FDA approved and came to market. Called the Ideal Implant because it provide a similar soft and natural feel similar to silicone gel implants with the “peace of mind” of having no internal silicone gel material. The baffling or double lining reduces the issues of rippling or wrinkling that the older traditional saline implant produces over time. Made of a silicone shell, it is stacked and baffled so the saline fluid will not wave back and forth nor need over-filling. It is also found to produce less capsule contracture or leak rates than the previous saline and gel breast implants. Read more about Ideal Implants here: Link https://drdeankane.com/ideal-implants/
When should I exchange my Silicone Gel Implants?
The same reasoning applies to Silicone Gel Implants: if nothing is concerning you and you are not having any medical issues regarding your breasts, then Dr. Kane recommends leaving them alone. The age of the silicone implants does have some importance here. If your implants are well over 14 years old and you have concerns about the gel leaking into your breasts, then you should see your doctor to address your concerns.
Are Silicone Gel Implants Safe?
The newer style implants manufactured by Allergan called Natrelle Cohesive Implants and by Mentor called MemoryGel Implants are now made with a very cohesive type of silicone gel that no longer leaks out into the body like the older models did. If the outer shell of the implants should develop a microscopic hole, the gel only leaks out onto the outside rim, but they are made to stay intact within the breast capsule. These newer silicone gel implants were FDA approved in 2006 and deemed to be very safe by all the studies done by the manufacturing companies.
How do I know if I should exchange my implants?
If patients have any concerns regarding their breast augmentations with Saline or Silicone Gel Implants, it is always best to see your doctor for an evaluation and discuss any issues that you may be experiencing. Dr. Kane would make the appropriate recommendations to his patients after he does a complete exam and evaluation and determine whether an exchange of your implants would be the appropriate way to go.
What are the costs to exchange Saline Implants to Silicone Gel Implants?
The costs to exchange Saline implants for silicone gel implants would be $7500 for everything: (Dr. Kane’s fees, Silicone Gel Implants, OR, Anesthesia). We perform the surgery in our fully accredited OR in our Center For Cosmetic Surgery and Medspa in Baltimore, MD.
Call today (410) 602-3322 or email Lauri@DrDeanKane to ask her about your implants and she will be happy to get right back to you.
