The FDA has recently approved silicone gel breast implants for routine breast surgery. Women undergoing breast reconstruction, breast augmentation, or breast revision surgeries and are 22 years of age or older are now able to take advantage of silicone gel breast implants. By approving silicone breast implants, the FDA has marked a new era for breast surgery.
Although the TUBA (umbilical) procedure cannot be used with silicone gel implants, Dr. Rai offers many different types of implants and incisions to make your desired breast enlargement results a reality. Feel free to visit Dr. Rai at the Cosmetic Surgical Center.
Brief History of Silicone gel implants:
For nearly 30 years, silicone gel breast implants were used in breast augmentation surgery. Until 1992, many women enjoyed the results silicone breast implants provided. In the 1980s and early 1990s, however, some women began reporting health complications and side effects, citing the silicone breast implants as the cause. The complaints and side effects reported by women during this time were almost always vague and inconclusive, but they received national attention as they gained media interest and television shows began requesting a ban on silicone breast implants from the FDA.
As a public interested agency, the FDA chose to place a moratorium on silicone breast implants in response to the public’s assumption that silicone breast implants caused health problems. In 1992, the FDA banned silicone breast implants from being used in routine breast surgeries, like breast augmentation. Although the moratorium banned silicone breast implants from being used in most breast surgeries, they were still available for women undergoing procedures like breast revisions, congenital breast deformities, breast reconstructions, breast asymmetries, and to correct breast sagging.
The FDA’s ban on silicone breast implants also had a large impact on breast implant manufactures. After the ban, Dow Corning, the country’s largest manufacturer of silicone gel, was targeted in a class action lawsuit filed by women who had received silicone breast implants. Dow Corning chose to settle out of court with the patients who claimed they had been injured by the silicone gel. After the lawsuit, Dow Corning chose to stop manufacturing silicone gel.
After the Dow Corning lawsuit, nearly all other silicone gel manufactures chose to leave the business. Two of the United State’s leading breast implants manufactures, Mentor and Inamed, chose to continue manufacturing silicone breast implants for use in procedures approved by the FDA. Since the ban on silicone breast implants, Inamed and Mentor have performed studies and collected data on the silicone breast implants they continued to manufactures.
On November 17, 2006, the FDA lifted its 15-year ban on silicone breast implants as a result of the extensive data and study results that determined silicone breast implants are safe and effective for use in all breast surgeries. The studies also showed that there were no connections between silicone breast implants and connective or neurological tissue damage.
Are there new requirements using silicone gel implants?
With the approval of silicone breast implants, there are a few requirements patients must follow if they are receiving silicone breast implants. Labeling, device tracking, and patient consent are just some of the requirements that must be met when using silicone breast implants. For the most part, these requirements are in place to provide long-term data on silicone breast implants and to safeguard patients.
Are silicone gel implants safe?
The FDA has determined that silicone breast implants are both safe and effective for use in breast implant surgery. Although silicone breast implants were banned in 1992 as a result of health problems and side effects, studies and data have shown that there are no connections to silicone breast implants and these health problems.
In 2000, the Institute of Medicine, a federal research organization, reported that there is no link between neurological or connective tissue disorders and silicone breast implants.
How are new breast implants different than previously available implants?
For the most part, silicone implants have been made much sturdier than the silicone breast implants used in the past. Shells used for silicone breast implants are stronger and less likely to rupture after they have been placed. Advancements have also been made in the silicone gel used to fill the implants. Silicone gel is thicker, preventing it from migrating into other areas of the body if a rupture were to occur. Mentor refers to this new from of silicone gel as “Memory Gel.”
What are cohesive silicone gel breast implants?
Cohesive gel implants differ from other silicone gel implants in that the gel used in cohesive gel breast implants is even thicker, retaining its shape and consistency and preventing any leaking into the body. Since the gel used in cohesive gel implants is thicker, breasts often feel firmer than with other silicone breast implants. At the moment, cohesive gel silicone breast implants are not approved in the United States, but they are approved in Canada and Europe.
What are various options in size and shape in Silicone gel implants?
Allergan, Inamed, and Mentor are the largest manufacturers of silicone breast implant sin the United State. These companies provide patients with many different options in size, shape, size, and projections so that results can be tailored just for the patient receiving the breast implants.
What are the advantages of silicone gel implants over saline filled implants?
The largest advantages silicone breast implants provide over saline breast implants are in the results. First, many doctors and patients agree that silicone breast implants provide more natural results. Secondly, silicone breast implants have fewer occurrences of rippling, allowing for better subglandular placement. Lastly, since silicone breast implants are filled when they are being manufactured as opposed to during the procedure, there is less chance of leakage.
What are disadvantages of silicone gel implants?
There are a few disadvantages of having silicone breast implants instead of saline breast implants. Silicone breast implants require a slightly longer incision to be placed because they are filled prior to the procedure, instead of during the procedure like saline breast implants. Also, silicone breast implants cannot be placed through belly button incisions, making them unsuitable for tuba procedures. Lastly, silent leaks may be possible with silicone breast implants, but these can be checked for with periodic MRI exams.
What incision choices are available for breast augmentation with silicone gel implants?
Although silicone breast implants cannot be placed via belly button incisions, they can be placed via any other breast augmentation incisions, including the breast crease (inframammary) incision, the armpit (axillary) incision, and the periareolar incision.
Where are silicone gel implants placed?
Just like saline breast implants, silicone breast implants can be placed above or below the pectoral muscle. The placement of your breast implant depends on a variety of factors including lifestyle needs, chest size, existing breast tissue, and results desired. There are advantages and disadvantages to both placement options:
Submuscular Placement
- Implants are supported by pectoral muscles
- Less likely to sag over time
- Les defined cleavage than with subglandular implants
- Submuscular placement operations generally take longer to perform
- Recovery from submuscular placement is long and usually more painful
Subglandular Placement
- More likely to have future sagging
- Feel more natural
- Behave move like natural breasts
- Fit better in bras
- Cleavage is more defined
- Implants do not move up or down when the chest muscle moves
- Recovery is less painful
- Operation is faster
- They have slightly higher incidence of capsular contracture
- Implants tend to move with the motion of chest muscles
- Slightly less incidence of capsular contractures.
For further information on silicone gel breast implants, please visit Dr. Rai’s Cosmetic Surgical Center website.
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If you are considering silicone breast implants in Dallas or anywhere in Texas, contact Dr. Rai at the Cosmetic Surgical Center. Dr. Rai will provide you with a free initial consultation where you can learn all about breast implants.
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