Breast Augmentation: What is Safe and Effective?

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The Silicone Choice: With Safety Guaranteed, More Women Choosing Silicone Breast Implants over Saline Breast Implants

Silicone breast implants are back, and they’re now the implant of choice among women who are seeking breast augmentation, which is the surgical enhancement of the size or shape of the breasts. In fact, many women who have had prior augmentation surgery are now replacing their saline implants with silicone ones.

“The silicone implant is a better product as far as aesthetics,” said Dr. Juan Brou, a board certified plastic surgeon in Oklahoma City who has helped countless women achieve their desired results through breast augmentation surgery.

Nearly a half-million women undergo breast augmentation each year, and those numbers are holding steady. Today, though, more women are again asking for silicone breast implants to achieve a more natural look and feel.

Silicone breast implants regained U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in November 2006 following an extensive investigation which failed to show any connection between silicone implants and autoimmune disorders, one of the primary concerns behind their removal from the market in the 1990s. The silicone implants of today feature a new, advanced design.

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“Manufacturers have re-engineered and improved the silicone implant. The casement around it is thicker and stronger than earlier models, reducing the risk of leaks or rupture,” he said. “In addition, the silicone itself has been re-engineered so that there is cross-linking. That basically means that the molecules adhere to each other better and the silicone is more likely to retain its shape. They call it ‘memory gel.’ Cross-linking technology is also used to manufacture the casement, which again creates a better product.”

Silicone breast implants are much less likely to produce rippling, a common complaint with saline breast implants. Rippling, which creates a scallop-like effect, is typically seen at the edge of the implant, where it forms a fold or crease beneath the breast tissue.

Noelle, one of Dr. Brou’s Oklahoma breast implant patients, made the switch to silicone implants after her regular physician discovered a cyst underneath her saline implant. Since surgery would be required to remove the cyst, Noelle decided to have her implants replaced at the same time.

“The saline implants felt like tight water balloons,” she said. “Whenever I would lie down it felt like I was being propped up by them. My silicone implants are softer, and they look and feel more natural.”

Whatever type of breast implants a woman has, they will eventually have to be replaced. Dr. Brou encourages women who have had implants for more than 15 years to have them checked regularly. The longer they are in place the more likely it is for problems such as hardening, ruptures or leakage to develop. Ideally women should undergo an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) test every two to three years after breast augmentation to check for leaks and any other problems.

“Many women suffer needlessly because they don’t realize that their breast implants can be fixed or removed,” Dr. Brou said. “We are on our third generation of breast implants, and they have been studied for decades. There are better implants on the market right now that will give you better results.”

To schedule a free consultation with Dr. Brou about breast augmentation surgery or another cosmetic procedure, click here.

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