The Wall Street Journal recently published an article regarding the comeback of silicone gel implants. Statistics released Tuesday by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery for 2012 showed that 72% of the 330,631 breast augmentation procedures in the U.S. used silicone implants, while 28% used saline or sterile salt water. This is in contrast to 2006, the year the ban was lifted when only 19% of procedures used silicone.
I have seen this same trend in my practice, where there has been an overwhelming patient-driven desire to have silicone gel breast implants for augmentation, reconstruction, and revision augmentation surgery. I think one of the reasons why most patients choose silicone implants is because the technology is significantly different than in the past. With the introduction of form-stable and “gummy-bear” implants, there has been more awareness that the inner silicone gel does not drip or leak like it once did when the devices were first developed. Also, when the FDA lifted the ban on silicone gel implants in 2006, they were deemed “safe and effective” with no links having been confirmed with other health problems like connective-tissue disease (i.e., Rheumatoid Arthritis).
More on this topic can be found in the WSJ. If you have any questions about breast implants, please call us at our plastic surgery office at (512) 288-8200 or contact us directly via email! You can also sign up for our monthly newsletter on our “news” page.
