Silicone and Saline – Breast Implant Options and FDA Approval

Women have virtually two choices when it comes to breast implants. They can choose silicone or saline. The Food and Drug Administration in the United State recently released additional information that backs up its decision in 2006 to allow the use of silicone breast implants back into the market after restricting them for 14 years prior while studies were undertaken.

Saline Implants

Saline implants have long been the only option for women, but not many women liked them. They did not feel natural because saline is a liquid and does not feel like traditional breast tissue. If saline implants leak, a real concern for many people, the water is absorbed into the body, without causing any damage.

Silicone

For many years, there was concern about silicone breast implants. While many consumers liked this material beast, because it felt like realistic breast tissue, the risks it would pose to the body in a rupture were unknown, until the FDA did a long term study. Silicone implants have the same shell as the saline version, but are filled with a sticky substance that resembles fat.

The release of the FDA stating that consumers did have two options, the use of saline or silicone, allows consumers to feel more comfortable with their choices, but there are risks. There are increased risks including the need for reoperation and implant removal. Consumers should not consider these permanent implants, but most likely the need for replacement within ten years will be evident. On the other hand, women can also choose to just be natural.