Silicone Gel Breast Implants

Breast implant surgery is the most popular cosmetic surgery, and the silicone gel is today's most popular implant. It was the first to be accepted by the medical field, followed later by the saline implant. Both are used in breast augmentation surgeries, but American women prefer the silicone gel over the saline.

Both implants have a silicone shell. The silicone gel implant is filled with a silicone that is not a liquid but is also not a solid.

Two plastic surgeons, Cronin and Gerow, invented the silicone gel implant and produced it commercially in 1962. Its first taste of controversy hit when a study on rats showed that the silicone gel might be carcinogenic. The implant was cleared, however, when the Committee on Carcinogenicity threw out the case because it only pertained to the tested rats. The saline implant was created in response to the health issue of the silicone implant in 1965, but the silicone gel has always been the most popular of the two implants because they look and feel more like a real breast.

In the late 1980s, the cosmetic surgery field experienced an amazing surge in popularity. Suddenly every woman wanted breast implants, and they wanted the silicone gel because it looked and felt real. However, horror stories started to spread about silicone leakage, capsular contracture (excessive scar tissue growth), and other complications and, in 1992, the FDA banned it except for use in reconstructive surgery. The FDA requested technical data from the silicone implant manufacturers and then started clinical studies.

Silicone gel leakage was the complication that caught the media's attention. It was eventually resolved when the outer shell was changed. It turns out that under exhaustive tests the original shell showed indications of degradation. In 2006, fourteen long years later, the FDA lifted the ban and gave their approval for the unrestricted use of the silicone gel implant.

The silicone gel implant is now the most analyzed and dissected device in American medicine. Although no surgery is ever risk-free, the silicone gel implant has a better safety reputation than ever. Because of its gel filler, the implant emulates the feel and movement of breast tissue better than the saltwater saline implant. The gel jiggles more than it sloshes. In addition, when a woman lies down on her back (at the beach or in bed), the gel implant holds its shape while the saline implant flattens out like a fried egg. After suffering through the surgery and the recovery, you want the most realistic looking breasts possible, and the silicone gel implant makes that possible.

If you are interested in learning more about the silicone breast implant and implant surgery, go to an expert: a board-certified plastic surgeon that specializes in breast augmentation. Most surgeons do not even charge for the initial consultation. He will know the latest advancements in technology and be able to answer any questions you have and how they pertain to you specifically. He will also be able to give you the most accurate and realistic expectations about what you can look forward to in the size and shape of your new breasts.

The information in this article was not offered as medical advice. Only take medical advice from a licensed physician.
Please visit these web pages: compare against saline implants, augmentation recovery, and implant ruptures.