A breast augmentation consultation includes an opportunity to feel both saline and silicone breast implants. The consistency of a saline breast implant is quite different than a silicone gel breast implant. Occasionally, after feeling the implants, a woman may comment that she thinks a breast implant feels “heavy” – implying that it is heavier than breast tissue.
The weight of a human breast obviously depends upon its size and consistency. It is not possible to generalize the density of a human breast, since that will vary depending upon the consistency of the breast as well. The density of a woman’s breast does depend upon the ratio of breast tissue, connective tissue, and fat within the breast.
The density of human fat is about 0.917 gr/cm3. For comparative purposes, the destiny of human muscle is about 1.06 gr/cm3. The density of breast tissue should more closely approximate the density of fibrous or connective tissue, and would (likely) be greater than the density of muscle. So the approximate density of a woman’s breast is likely in the 0.92 – 1.00 gr/cm3 range.
The density of the 0.9% saline used to fill the implant is approximately 1.005 gr/cm3. The density of the silicone used to fill the breast implant is approximately 0.97 gr/cm3. These closely approximate the average density of a woman’s breast…. So the weight of a breast implant closely approximates an equal-sized breast.
Therefore, if a lighter breast implant (with a density < 0.9 gr/cm3) was manufactured, it would not feel as natural.
I had DIEP Flap reconstuction after double mastectomy. Is abdominal tissue heavier/denser than mammory tissue. They feel heavier now.
No, abdominal tissue is not heavier/denser than breast tissue. The fatty tissue in both should be identical in terms of composition. The abdominal tissue does lack the actual breast glandular tissue. Some women and surgeons prefer this autologous tissue reconstruction because they feel it produces the most natural feeling breast reconstruction, essentially replacing like with like.