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Saline Versus
Silicone Breast Implants
Lawsuits against the
manufacturers of silicone breast implants in
the early 1990s caused a closer inspection
of the safety of silicone implants. The Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) removed
silicone-filled breast implants from the
market in 1992. This left only saline-filled
implants available to the public. From 1992
to 2005 investigators involved in clinical
studies — who were evaluating the use of
silicone implants for reconstructive and
revision surgery — were the only ones
allowed to
use silicone breast implants. According to
the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic
Surgery, surveys in 2005 showed that 83.4
percent of respondents used saline and 16.6
percent used the silicone implant. In
November 2006 the FDA lifted restrictions,
and approved the use of silicone breast
implants for women who are at least 22 years
old.
Advantages and Disadvantages
An advantage of saline breast implants
is that, if ruptured, the saline (salt
solution) is dissolved by the body. A
disadvantage is that saline implants are
more likely to show ripples in the implant
or the implant itself may appear less
natural in small-breasted or reconstructive
patients. This is especially important for
very thin women who have little breast
tissue to cover the implant, or for women
who have a breast injury or need breast
reconstruction. The small ripples in the
implant may be more likely to show through
the skin in these women.
The Silicone Option
Silicone implants provide another choice
for breast implant patients. New Silicone
gel-filled implants may provide a more
natural feel in the various implant
placement positions:
The final analysis of studies attempting to
link silicone to connective tissue diseases
and certain autoimmune diseases, is that
they have failed to show any connection.
There have been other studies to show that
silicone implants are safe, and the FDA has
approved them for breast augmentation.
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