How different does saline feel vs silicone breast implants?

Varies: In general, silicone implants look, act and feel more natural. However, it depends on the size of the breast implant and how much native breast tissue a woman has as to how much of the implant you feel. For example, a woman with an a cup preoperatively who gets a larger implant, the feel is mostly determined by the implant. If you have larger native breasts and smaller implants, it matters less.

In almost all...: Patients, there is no difference. They feel different if you hold one in each hand, but in the body there is minimal difference. All implants wrinkle to some degree, and this is more apparent with saline than silicone. However, the difference is only significant in very thin patients. It is mostly a matter of patient and surgeon preference.

Breast Implant feel: Silicone gel implants integrate better with breast tissue and feel more natural and softer. Saline implants are filled with salt water and are not as soft. This is more noticeable in patients with thinner tissues. Occasionally patients with saline implants also can feel a "slosh" from fluid "movement" within the implant shell; however, this is rare.

Patient dependent: While saline and silicone implants feel different when in your hands, it is difficult to tell the difference once they are implanted in most patients. I recommend silicone implants for patients with very thin chest walls, because the rippling that is present in all implants is less prominent in silicone implants and will be less noticeable. Most often it is a matter of patient choice.

Silicone feel better: The majority of my breast augmentation patients choose silicone. It has a softer more realistic feel and shows less rippling in thinner patients. I have my patients hold saline and silicone implants in their initial consultation to feel the difference for themselves.