All About Silicone Breast Implants

Women seeking a fuller bosom have more choices today than they did a decade ago. Since the 1990s, the types of breast implants chosen have been limited to one, unless a woman was having reconstructive surgery due to a mastectomy or other health problem. But options changed a few years ago when the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of silicone breast implants, after the agency had banned their use following hundreds of thousands of claims that the implants harmed women.

The Truth About Silicone Breast Implants

It’s important to learn all that you can before deciding whether this type of implant is the best solution for your small bust line. First of all, these implants are filled with silicone gel that is surrounded by a thin, rubbery silicone shell. Not all of these implants are the same. They can differ in thickness and texture of the shell, how much gel is inside, and even its shape.

Some surgeons prefer to use silicone implants for their patients over saline implants because it is believed that silicone implants make for a much more natural looking and feeling breast.

Risks

Some women think that breast augmentation surgery is the best decision they’ve made while others say it’s the worst. That’s because earlier versions of silicone implants were linked to horror stories. Many women claimed it caused them significant health problems in the early 1990s, prompting the FDA to ban the use of them.

But only certain women can get silicone implants. According to the most recent decision, the FDA only allows women 22 years old and older to opt for silicone rather than saline breast implants.

Just because the FDA has approved the use of silicone implants again doesn’t mean they are absolutely risk-free. These implants can still rupture or leak into a woman’s body, there could be pain in the breast, there could be scar tissue that changes the implant’s shape, and/or sensation in the nipples can diminish. There could be infections and there may be a need for additional surgery in the future.

Even though the gel can leak outside the shell, the FDA said there has been no evidence to show that the gel leaking into the woman’s body poses any additional health risks.

If you have any concerns regarding the risks associated with this type of surgery or the use of silicone-gel breast implants, you should consult with your cosmetic surgeon and thoroughly discuss the matter before you have any surgery. For additional information on breast implants in Brisbane contact our practice.