Learning about your breast implant options is an important part of preparing for a breast augmentation procedure. There are two types of implants: silicone and saline. There is often confusion about the safety of silicone options because older silicone models had certain design flaws that lead to a number of issues. For those reasons, silicone implant use was discontinued in the early 1990s and saline implants were used exclusively. However, saline implants left much to be desired when it came to look and even feel. Saline implants are more likely to ripple and wrinkle, and can have an unnaturally round appearance. On very thin women, saline implants can also feel hard and unnatural. Fortunately, the new cohesive gel implants have addressed those issues as well as some of the safety concerns associated with older silicone implants.

The original silicone implants were first used in the United States in the early 1960s. Several generations of implants followed, with changes in materials used, shape, and size. In 1988, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began investigating breast implant failures in women who experienced leaking, deflated implants, capsular contracture, and other complications after breast augmentation procedures. In 1992, the FDA placed a moratorium on silicone breast implants for general use in the U.S. market, claiming that insufficient information existed to deem those breast implants safe.

New Cohesive Gel Implants

In 2006, after nearly two decades of research and testing, the FDA conditionally approved the use of cohesive silicone gel breast implant devices for the U.S. market. These newer implants are filled with an improved version of the gel compound used in older implant models, but the significant difference lies in the cross-linking molecular structure of the new gel filler. The molecular linking effectively bonds the material into a thicker, less viscous consistency than in older models. These newer silicone implants are also called \”gummy bear\” implants for this reason. A cohesive gel implant cut in half behaves similarly to a gummy bear cut in half. Since cohesive implants are more form-stable than older implants, they hold their shape and won\’t leak into the body if the outer shell ruptures. This makes them safer than older implant models.

Additional Advantages

The firmer consistency of the new silicone filling allows these implants to assume the shape of existing breast tissue, creating a more natural-looking silhouette. These implants also last much longer than their older counterparts and have a thicker shell, making them far less likely to fold, wrinkle, or rupture. These advantages have lead many plastic surgeons to frequently recommend silicone implants to their patients.

Consult Your Plastic Surgeon

If you\’ve been researching your breast implant options, the next step is to consult an experienced breast augmentation surgeon. He or she can help you choose the implant type, texture, and size that will best match your body type and lifestyle. As you discuss which implant type to choose, keep in mind that cohesive gel implant options are safer to use than the original silicone implants and produce amazingly natural-looking results.

Katie Perry is an online content editor in the Tampa Bay area. She posts articles about plastic surgery topics and procedures including breast augmentation, breast implants, and more.

Katie Perry is an online content editor in the Tampa Bay area. She posts articles about plastic surgery topics and procedures including breast augmentation, http://www.bayshoreplasticsurgery.com/index.html, and more.

Author Bio: Katie Perry is an online content editor in the Tampa Bay area. She posts articles about plastic surgery topics and procedures including breast augmentation, breast implants, and more.

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