Breast Implants
Plastic Surgery and Medspa Practice Serving Maryland, Washington DC & Virginia

Saline Implants

What Are Saline Implants

Although saline implants have a silicone elastomer shell, the implant itself is filled with a sterile saline solution rather than a silicone gel. During breast augmentation surgery, saline implants are inserted into the body in their empty form, and then filled with the saline solution once they are in place.  Should these implants rupture, the body will naturally absorb the saline solution without any negative health complications.

Implant Sizes

Saline implants are available to women 18 and older for breast augmentation, and to women of any age for reconstructive breast surgery. The size of saline implants ranges from 120cc (cubic centimeters) to 960cc; however, a patient wanting implants larger than 850cc will need custom implants. Saline implants differ in terms of their profile, shape (anatomical or round), and shell viscosity. At Cosmetic Surgery Associates, located in Bethesda, MD, both Dr. Franklin Richards, M.D., and Dr. Dean Jabs, M.D., have high levels of knowledge and experience working with saline implants, and will work with you to ensure that you select the ideal size and type of implant to achieve the best possible surgical results.

Reasons To Choose Saline

Saline implants soared in popularity in 1992, when the FDA banned the use of silicone breast implants. Although the FDA lifted this ban in 2006, saline implants are still quite popular today, and were used in 38% of the breast augmentation surgeries performed in America in 2012. Many women opt for saline implants because, should the saline implants rupture, the body is able to absorb the saline naturally, without any health complications. Saline implants can be more inclined to result in texture changes (ie, rippling) that can sometimes be seen through the skin; however, they are easier to remove and require a much smaller incision than silicone implants, resulting in a reduced level of scarring after the procedure. Lastly, saline implants have a flexible fill volume, allowing the surgeon to adjust and perfect the volume during the breast augmentation procedure.

Silicone Implants

Silicone implants come pre-filled with a silicone gel, a dense, sticky fluid that closely simulates the texture and feeling of human breast tissue. Depending on the size of the implant to be inserted, breast augmentation using silicone implants may require a longer incision than an augmentation surgery with saline implants. Silicone implants are available to women 22 and older for surgical breast augmentation, and to women of all ages for reconstructive breast surgery.

Implant Sizes

The majority of silicone implants today have three layers of shell surrounding the silicone gel in order to decrease the amount of potential gel bleeding.  In recent years, breast augmentation technology has made significant advances, and silicone implants are now less likely to rupture or leak, and are offered in a more natural-looking “teardrop” shape. Silicone implants have a range of widths (smaller implants are generally narrower) and a volume (size) range of 175cc (cubic centimeters) to 800cc.

At Cosmetic Surgery Associates, located in Bethesda, MD, both Dr. Franklin Richards, M.D., and Dr. Dean Jabs, M.D., have years of extensive experience working with silicone implants, and will work with you to ensure that you select the perfect size and type of implant to achieve the results you desire.

Reasons To Choose Silicone

Although the FDA banned the use of silicone implants in 1992, the ban was lifted in 2006, at which time the FDA stated that silicone implants are “safe and effective.”  The use of silicone implants in breast augmentation and reconstructive surgeries has continued to rise over the past six years, and in 2012, 62% of the breast-augmentation procedures performed in America utilized silicone implants. Many surgeons and patients believe that silicone implants are the most authentic type of implant, and that silicone implants look and feel more like natural breast tissue than saline implants.

Experts at Patient Care

Top-Rated Doctors

Keshav Magge, MD, FACS

Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

Honored as a Top Doctor by Bethesda Magazine and Washingtonian in both 2024 and 2025, Dr. Magge is recognized for his exceptional surgical skill, artistic precision, and patient-centered approach. A leading plastic surgeon in Bethesda, Maryland, he completed a fellowship in Craniofacial and Pediatric Plastic Surgery at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where he gained advanced expertise in facial rejuvenation and aesthetic surgery innovations.

Meet Dr. Magge

A. Dean Jabs, MD, PhD, FACS

Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

Dr. Jabs is an award-winning, board-certified plastic surgeon recognized nationally for his expertise in creating natural-looking results and his warm, compassionate approach to patient care. Trained in NY at Columbia University, he served in the US Army and has special expertise in facial rejuvenation. He has over 35 years of experience and has consistently been voted a top plastic surgeon by Washingtonian and Bethesda magazine.

 

Meet Dr. Jabs

Franklin D. Richards, MD, FACS

Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

Dr. Richards has been recognized as a Top Doctor by several prestigious organizations, including Castle Connolly, Consumers’ Research Council of America, and Washingtonian magazine. A leading plastic surgeon in Bethesda, Maryland, Dr. Richards is the past Chief of Plastic Surgery at Johns Hopkins Suburban Hospital. His expertise is in achieving natural results in facelift and eyelid surgery, with additional interests in cosmetic surgery of the breast and abdomen.

Meet Dr. Richards