Silicone breast implants are a regularly favored, but long controversial, choice in the procedure of breast augmentation. The term ?silicone breast implant? may be confusing to some consumers, since all breast implants currently used in the United States use silicone ?shells? as their exterior shape. But this term refers to implants that are filled with silicone gel rather than saline fluid.



Implants filled with silicone gel first came into public use in 1962, after development by the Dow Corning Corporation. From that point, the silicone gel implant evolved through five generations of manufacture ? each one distinguished by its variety of shapes and texture. Over time, the implants have become more durable and less susceptible to breakage. The most current, ?fifth generation? version of the silicone breast implant is the cohesive gel model, which uses a semi-solid gel rather a mixture that is thinner. Presently, this version is still pending approval with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Other countries have used it widely for more than ten years.

In terms of placement, silicone breast implants are currently classified into three positions: subglandular, where the implant is placed behind the breast but in front of the muscle tissue that lines the exterior of the ribs and chest wall; and partial or complete submuscular, where the implant is placed behind the breast tissue and then partially or fully under the muscles of the pectoralis and chest.

Silicone gel implants are often preferred since they tend to provide the breast with a more firm and natural feeling ? plus a more authentic appearance. They also lack the saline implant's tendency to weaken, shrink and then cause a ?rippling? appearance in the cleavage skin.

But, like the saline counterpart, a silicone gel implant can rupture and leak after degrading over time ? or after being punctured during chest trauma. This led the silicone gel implant to widespread controversy during the early 1990s when it was suspected that an internal exposure to this leaked gel could cause health problems, including diseases such as cancer. The silicone gel implant was removed from the cosmetic surgical market in 1992, though extensive medical studies later proved that the accusations of health hazard had been false.

However, the controversy, plus certain governmental restrictions, kept the silicone gel implant from widespread use. A 2005 survey showed that only 16.6 percent of the respondents used the silicone gel implant; the rest had been implanted with the saline version.

Since 2006 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has lifted some of the restrictions, allowing silicone implant use among women ages 22 and older.