Silicone gel breast implants weren't always the favorite amongst the available breast implants. For fourteen years, the FDA banned their use in aesthetic-only breast augmentation surgeries.
Ask any woman who's considering breast augmentation surgery which type of implant she will most likely choose and you will hear a unanimous response: silicone gel implants! Ever since the FDA lifted the ban on silicone gel implants in 2006, they have quickly become the number one requested breast implant for breast augmentation procedures. Before that, however, silicone gel implants were under extreme scrutiny from the FDA. Not only that, but they received harsh criticism throughout the United States from women who blamed the implants for a variety of health conditions.
Silicone gel has been used as a breast enhancer since the early 1960's. The earliest form of silicone gel was an injection of gel that was shot straight into the breast of women seeking breast enlargement. Thankfully, silicone gel has evolved considerably since then. The latest form is a silicone gel shell that is filled with a silicone gel as filler.
Two surgeons originally developed the silicone gel implant. Their names were Cronin and Gerow. Their innovative medical device was available in 1962. Within a few years the first bit of controversy arose: studies indicated that silicone gel caused cancer in rats. Silicone gel was later cleared of cancer risk, but that incident marked the first of many accusations relating to health risk posed by silicone gel implants.
Early implant results were poor to say the least. It took many years and several design changes before silicone gel implants were accepted as a safe form of breast augmentation.
During the 80's and the early 90's, breast augmentation surgeries increased exponentially; more and more women were choosing to have large, firm breasts and they weren't afraid to pay handsomely for them. Not only that, but it appeared that women were simply unafraid of the potential consequences. Of course, this all changed in 1992 when thousands of women filed lawsuits against Dow Corning corporation; they claimed their breast implants were negatively impacting their health and they believed Dow Corning should pay for those health risks. Dow Corning soon filed bankruptcy.
After the bankruptcy of Dow Corning, the FDA stepped in and banned the use of silicone gel implants for aesthetic breast augmentation procedures. It would take 14 years before the FDA would approve silicone gel implants for unrestricted use.
The primary concerns of the FDA were implant leakage and capsular contracture. Both of these adverse health conditions have been minimized to a great extent. Silicone gel implants are considered safe for public use. It's interesting to note, however, that saline breast implants are generally considered the safest of all available implants yet they never had to undergo the lengthy, extensive clinical trials that silicone gel implants experienced.
Would you like to learn more about silicone gel implants? To learn more about these implants, you can simply search the internet and you will find plenty of information. But to get the latest information regarding augmentation procedures, safety concerns, and implant longevity, you will need to speak directly with an implant surgeon.
It is not the intention of this article to provide medical advice or suggestions. Only a licensed, practicing physician can provide guidance for your medical or health-related questions.
The Shape And Texture Of Cohesive Gel Implants
Textured implants are believed to be more resistant to implant rotation post surgery. Because of this fact, all cohesive gel implants have a textured surface.
Saline Breast Implants - The Good And The Very Bad!
Saline implants were once the most popular requested implant in the United States. The primary reason for their current popularity decline is because the more controversial implant, silicone gel, is now available for unrestricted use in breast augmentation surgery.
Breast Implants - Rupture And Leakage
The FDA once banned silicone gel implants for use in breast augmentation surgery. This ban lasted fourteen years. They were primarily concerned with two things: rupture and leakage.
