Safety of saline implants

Saline implants have been available in the US since 1960. The implants are very safe, and never have been questioned as much as silicone gel implants. Primarily, the saline implant is a silicone bag filled with salt water.  The salt water is the same that you would recive through an IV in surgery or use to place contacts in your eyes.  Should the implant break, your body will absorb the salt water.  The body does respond to the implant by making scar tissue, or a capsule, around the implant. Any time a foreign material is placed inside the body, the body may try to make scar tissue around it. Chemically, our body is composed of 57% salt water. Because of this, our body does not see the saline as foreign material, but mainly the bag. Consequently, the amount of scar tissue or capsule that forms is the lowest with saline implants. Also, the saline implants do not need to be X-rayed to see if they are damaged or leaking. Should the implant leak, you will know within a day or two as you deflate. Saline implants also allow visuliazation of tissue with Xrays. Lastly, should you desire to have saline implants removed, this often may be done with local anesthesia.