Since the latter part of the 19th century, breast implant surgeries have been performed. The materials used in the early days differed severely, however, to the feel and sensation of today's silicone and saline implants. The earliest materials used to boost a woman's breast size included: paraffin, polyethylene chips, ground rubber, glass balls, ox cartilage, and even ivory. Mercifully, breast augmentation compounds and techniques have made innovative advances.

Silicone gel implants were first introduced in 1962. These types of implants were a silicone shell filled with silicone gel. Thirty years after their development, the chief silicone gel implant maker, Dow Corning, issued an important message. The manufacturing of five different grades of implant silicone would cease.

The production stop was initiated because many thousands of women voiced complaints of the ill side effects from silicone leaking into their bodies from the implants. Filing bankruptcy in 1995, Dow Corning accredited it to more than 19,000 lawsuits filed by women whose health difficulties were caused by the silicone gel.

The two leading manufacturers of silicone gel implants today are Mentor Corporation and Allergan. Both are FDA approved for cosmetic breast enhancement and breast reconstruction. The FDA may have approved silicone gel implants, but they are restricted to use only in specific situations.

Saline is another type of implant that is used. In 1964, it was first manufactured in France. This type of implant is filled with a sterile saline instead of a silicone gel. The saltwater mixture is akin to the fluids already in the human body.

A broken saline implant would allow saline to escape and spill into the body. If a saline implant ruptures, unlike silicone gel, the body absorbs the saline and ultimately flushes it out by urination. Additionally, should a crack occur, saline implants are much less complicated to remove than silicone gel implants. The value of saline was that it minimized the incision required to insert the implant. A small incision is all that's needed because the implant is put into the body and then injected with saline.

Rippling and wrinkling of the skin are cosmetic problems prone to saline implants. Saline implants are currently approved for unrestricted use.

Originally, the first implant shape was round. Today it is still the most widely used shape of implant used. Once in a while after surgery, an implant will turn inside the breast. Unlike other implant shapes, round implants that rotate will not show noticeable change in the way your breasts look. A common complaint to round implants is the greater fullness on the top of the breast, unlike a natural breast shape. A benefit to round implants is that they are normally cheaper than other implant shapes.

The anatomical is the second most requested implant shape. Teardrop shape is another term to describe it. These implants are fuller at the bottom than at the top. They are intended to replicate the natural shape of real breasts. The breast shape will be noticeably affected if an anatomically shaped implant turns around. Correcting the rotation may involve minor surgery in such cases.

If you are considering implants purely for cosmetic reasons, you may be restricted to saline implants. The determination depends upon your specific situation.

The more requested of the two implants by far is silicone gel but the FDA has limited their use for only a small number of circumstances. In the future, when the FDA has gathered enough research, they will approve silicone gel implants for unrestricted use. Meanwhile, consult with a surgeon so he can access if silicone gel implants are allowed in your situation.