Can I increase the size of my existing saline breast implants?

Hello,

If you are looking for much of a change in size, new saline implants are usually required. Fill tolerance for your current saline implants can't be much more than 25-75cc which doesn't amount to much of a change in cup size. Re-filling the implants can also void their warranty.

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD

Unfortunately there is no other option but to replace your current implants with larger implants. Adding saline to current implants is not recommeneded. 

Kao Plastic Surgery

The process of breast atrophy or shrinkage after pregnancy can be worsened by breast feeding, but doesn't necessarily require breast feeding, so don't beat yourself up over having breast fed for 2 weeks.  It is mostly hormonally determined. 

If your implants are purely saline, then you will not be able to increase their size without having surgery to replace them.  Four or five years ago an implant type called a "Becker" or "post-operatively adjustable" implant was available.  This implant type contains both silicone gel and saline, and as the name suggests is adjustable after surgery to different sizes by adding to or removing the saline component.  Your plastic surgeon should have records of the type of implants that you have.  Check with him/her to find out if they are "Beckers", and if so, perhaps you can indeed have them increased in size.

I won't rehash what has been said already, except to say that I agree -- the only way to get a meaningful size increase is to put in new, larger saline implants. However, since you already have a pocket for the implant, the second operation should be much easier than the first operation.

David Berman MD, northern VA plastic surgeon

The only way to increase your breast size will be to change your implants to new ones. Adding fluid to your current implants is frowned upon and really doesn't make as much difference as you probably will need.

Also, overfilling your present implants to an extreme degree just makes them feel hard and look very round and tight.

I have often used post-operatively adjustable saline implants and these have a small valve under the skin which can allow for the addition or subtraction of fluid for months after surgery. This is done in an exam room with no anesthesia. This is the only situation where you could change size without surgery. Eventually the valves are removed.