Choosing implant materials - Saline or silicone?
In a study on saline filled breast implants 90% of women who still had the device after three years said they were still happy with the results. In fact, saline implants are the only freely available type of augmentation device allowed by the FDA for use in the United States. (As of February 2004). Saline is seen as 'safe' as the saline solution is sterile, and has been widely used in medicine for over two hundred years with no apparent side effects. Some people find that they do not feel as natural or have the same physical properties as a natural breast or silicone implants.
Breast implant ruptures
Concerns over leaking and ruptured silicone implants and reports of conditions such as arthritis led the FDA to instigate further trials to understand the frequency of rupture and the amount of force needed for failure, but no further data has been published. Silicone is still widely available providing you agree to take part in a trial or you are replacing original silicone implants. Your surgeon should also be part of the trial.
During the FDA ban, other medically advanced countries, such as Great Britain, have continued to use silicone implants; and new silicone devices have been actively marketed in Europe during this time. A study carried out by the Mayo Clinic and published in New England Journal of Medicine could find no association between silicone implants and autoimmune complaints.
There are many supporters of silicone for its natural feel. In a recent poll by the web forum ImplantInfo.com, over 64% of respondents felt that silicone should be reinstated. Silicone implants may even have saved the life of one Brazilian woman who was caught in crossfire between police and drug dealers. It was possibly the silicone that slowed a stray bullet enough to stop lethal damage to vital organs (Ananova, 23rd December 2002).
Overview of materials
Saline (salt-water solution)- FDA-approved
- Salt-water will be absorbed by the body if it leaks
Silicone gel- Safety is under discussion
- Only available in U.S. to women participating in approved studies
- Silicone gel may collect in the breast if it leaks. This may result in new scar tissue or the gel migrating to another part of the body.
There are other types of implants, such as cohesive gel implants or soybean oil implants, but these are not available in the U.S. at this time.
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