Silicone Breast Implant Surgery
Serving San Francisco, San Jose, & Walnut Creek, California
Silicone gel breast implants now FDA approved!
On Friday, November 17 2006, the FDA approved the use of silicone gel breast implants for all women over the age of 22, for first-time breast augmentation. Since 1992, these silicone gel breast implants have been restricted to breast reconstruction patients, and just a few other women who were unable to have saline filled breast implants.
This means that now there are three kinds of breast implants to choose from:
- Saline breast implants (filled with a salt water solution)
- Silicone gel breast implants (filled with a thicker substance)
- Cohesive gel breast implants (not currently FDA approved in the US)
You can choose from three possible locations for the incision of the breast implants:
- Inframammary (under the breast)
- Areola (below the nipple)
- Transaxillary (in the armpit)
Read about Breast Implants and Choosing a Size.
Advantages of silicone gel Breast implants
They have a more natural feel and look than saline breast implants. They’re less likely to ripple in any way that you can feel or see, and they’re a little lighter in weight than saline implants. They come in the same range of shapes and sizes as saline implants, being either round or anatomical (teardrop-shaped), and with either a smooth surface, or a textured one.
Further safety studies to be done
Since 1992 when the silicone gel breast implants were first restricted, many studies have been done on their safety, none of which have made any definite connection between them and any disease. The FDA’s medical device chief, Dr. Daniel Schultz, has described silicone gel breast implants as “one of the most extensively studied medical devices”.
The companies that manufacture these newly-approved implants are Allergan, Inc. and Mentor Corp, both in California. As requested by the FDA, they will both be conducting new ten-year studies on the safety of silicone gel breast implants.
Another type of implant has yet to be approved by the FDA, although they have been used in Europe for about ten years, and that’s the cohesive gel breast implants, also known as “gummy bear” implants. In the U.S. these are still under study. The gel used in these is thicker than what’s used in the recently-approved silicone gel implants. Watch this site for news about any FDA approval of these implants.
If you would like to learn more about breast implants, and how a breast augmentation procedure works, please contact us for an initial breast enhancement consultation. Breast Surgeon Dr. Randall Weil will listen to your concerns and answer your breast augmentation questions, and you can start preparing for whichever procedure is the best one for you. Dr. Randall Weil and his cosmetic surgery staff are dedicated to providing the safest, most comfortable, and most effective cosmetic surgery procedures for you, and we’ll be happy to work with you to make your experience with us very happy and positive.
For questions about Financing options please see our cosmetic surgery finance page.
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