The FDA approved silicone gel implants for unrestricted use in 2006. This has resulted in a boom for the silicone gel breast implant. Perhaps the manufacturers deserve it, after suffering through fourteen years of scrutiny by the FDA?
Women all over the United States are opting for breast augmentation surgery. They want larger, firmer breasts and they don t care how much it costs or what the risks are – well, some care, but the vast majority don t! This increasingly popular cosmetic procedure has become a very common practice, almost as common as getting your teeth cleaned at the dentist. Ask any woman if she has a friend who has breast implants, and she ll likely tell you that she has several. She may also say that she is seriously considering the procedure herself!
There are currently two types of approved breast implants for breast augmentation surgery: silicone gel and saline. For fourteen years, the saline breast implant enjoyed a monopoly on the breast augmentation industry in the United States, but ever since they lifted the ban, silicone gel implants have steadily increased in popularity and they are now the number one choice for women undergoing breast augmentation.
The silicone gel implant was first invented by two surgeons: Gerow and Cronin. It was made commercially available in 1962. Within a few years, silicone gel came under scrutiny by the public at large, and from that point on it has been a rough battle for manufacturers of this particular type of breast implant.
Early on, silicone gel implants were believed to cause cancer. This fear was later annulled by the medical community, but the fear seed had been planted, and it would sprout again and again over the years whenever anyone with silicone gel implants caught so much as the common cold!
During the 80 s, breast augmentation surgeries were on the rise, and silicone gel implants were the number one choice among women for their procedure. Their popularity continued into the early 90 s. But while their popularity was growing, so was the public s uncertainty about their overall safety. Critical mass was reached when thousands of women filed lawsuits against the primary manufacturer of silicone breast implants, Dow corning. Not long after those lawsuits were filed, Dow Corning filed bankruptcy. The FDA stepped in at that point and banned the use of silicone gel implants until they were able to conduct a thorough clinical trial to determine their overall safety for public use.
It took the FDA fourteen years to finally give silicone gel implants their stamp of approval for unrestricted used in breast augmentation surgery. The monopoly that saline implants once held is now gone, and silicone gel implants have become once again the number one requested breast implant for breast augmentation procedures in the United States.
Without doubt, the silicone gel breast implant is the most studied and analyzed medical device in the history of medicine! But does that mean they re safe for your body? You should consult with a licensed, board certified plastic surgeon to help determine that answer.
Would you like to learn about the latest technological changes in silicone gel implants? And perhaps you d also like to learn about the latest improvements in breast augmentation surgery? If you would like to learn more about either, you should schedule an initial consultation with a licensed, practicing plastic surgeon who specializes in breast augmentation surgery.
It is not the intention of this article to provide medical advice! Please do not interpret the information in this article as health related guidance. Only a licensed, practicing physician can consult with you regarding your health and medical related questions. Good luck!
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