Silicone And Breast Implants

Breast implants are made of an outer silicone shell which can be filled with either saline or a silicone gel. Over the decades, numerous other substances have been used to fill these implants but none has been able to mimic the consistency, smoothness or softness of the natural breast. Only silicone and saline come close.

Today, saline filled implants are available for women as young as 18 or older. Silicone gel implants are only available to women over the age of 22.

Despite the media hype about silicone and its health risks, there has not been any study which reveals detrimental medical problems about silicone used for breast implants.

Silicone containing products are widely used in hospitals- ranging from the intravenous tubing, syringes, prosthetic limbs and even implantable heart devices. Yet after 50 years of extensive use, there is not one iota of evidence that silicone is toxic to the human.

In1999, the National Institute of Medicine determined that there was no evidence indicating that silicone causes illness.

It should be pointed out here that silicone gel-filled implants cannot be inserted through the navel.

The FDA has now set the argument straight and allowed for silicone to be reused in breast implants setting a minimum age of 22.

The new generation of silicone gel implants are more viscous and firmer. These features have been developed just in case the outer shell ruptures and the thick silicone gel can still maintain the shape of the breast.

Like any surgery, breast implants surgery has the potential to cause complications. But this should not reflect on silicone. The major complications that occur are technical and unrelated to silicone.

Final analysis: many of the complications that occur after a breast implant are technical and surgeon related. To minimize the complications, select your surgeon well, read about the procedure, ask around and determine for yourself what you want and hear all your options