Breast implants are devices that have been used by cosmetic surgeons for a better part of the last two centuries in breast enlargement surgeries. Breast implants come in many types but the current standard that is used is silicone breast implants. The first generation of breast implants was used during the 1800s with adipose tissue being removed from other parts of the body and then placed inside the breast tissue. This was followed by the use of paraffin injections with near fatal results for the patient. Subsequently, plastic surgeons used breast implants made of foam and sponge like material, but all of these were of no use until the start of the use of silicon.
Silicon is a widely available element and is one of the most accepted substances in the human body. The first generation of modern implants began with the use of saline breast implants. These used a silicon elastomer shell that was filled with saline. These are still sometimes used and have a very good result though ruptures in the shell used to cause a lot of leakage resulting in immediate deflation of the breast. Additionally, the silicon used, caused fibroid tissue to form around the breast. Another problem was that these didn’t have a life-like texture. The next generations saw more modifications in the composition of the silicon shell to avoid frequent leakages. The fluids used within the breast implants nowadays are thinner than they used to be, this helps to reduce the possibility of leakages and spills. When planning a breast implant surgery, ensure that you receive all the breast augmentation information from your cosmetic surgeon, especially look for FDA approval.
With the advent of laser surgery, the old perpetual problem of breast augmentation with silicone implants that caused scarring has been largely eliminated. Silicone gel breast implants are still the most widely used method of breast augmentation and will probably continue to be so for some time. The dangers of carcinogens and fibroid tissue, however, still remain. Additionally, one must also remember that no matter what the shell material is made of, the body will still be able to dissolve this material over time and if this doesn’t happen then granulomas are still threats. A majority of women who do end up going for breast augmentation, in fact, end up removing the implants over a period of time due to the problems associated with them including frequent ruptures and psychological scarring associated with rupturing.