The Centre, P.C. - Plastic Surgery Blog

Women Accept Silicone Breast Implants after Moratorium - Monday, July 21, 2008

One question that many people were asking after silicone breast implants were re-approved for breast augmentation operations in late 2006, is "Would women choose them?" After all, the Food and Drug Administration had called for a voluntary suspension of their use for breast augmentation in 1992, and for nearly 15 years silicone implants were the only commonly-available option for breast enhancement (although silicone implants were still available for breast reconstruction operations). And there had been the concerns that caused the suspension in the first place, the anecdotal links between silicone breast implants and a host of conditions including fibromyalgia, lupus, and breast cancer. Even after no evidence suggested that any of these conditions had any significant link to silicone, it seemed likely that women might experience some reluctance to choose silicone.

However, women are returning to silicone, although it is unlikely that silicone implants will ever be as popular in the United States as they are in other countries, where 90 % of women choose silicone implants. The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery tracks silicone and saline breast implant surgeries, and it found that in 2007, the first full year saline implants were improved for use, nearly 40 % of breast augmentation operations were performed with silicone. Excluding transaxillary and transumbilical operations, which can only be performed with silicone implants (between 15-20 % of the total number of operations), this means that in their first year silicone implants have become just as popular as saline implants. It is likely that as women see the cosmetic results achievable with silicone implants, their popularity will continue to improve, although it is unlikely that they will achieve the same level of popularity in the United States that they enjoy in the rest of the world.

If you would like to learn more about silicone breast implants, contact The Centre, P.C. today to set up a consultation.