A Brief Evolution of Silicone and Saline Breast Implants

Breast implants available today are filled with either a saline solution, much like what it naturally present in our bodies, or a silicone gel. In a shell made out of silicon elastomer, both are available to any woman interested in improving their body contour by surgically enlarging their breasts.

First Came Silicone....

Silicone gel implants were designed before their saline counterparts, back in the 1960s. The first woman to receive silicone implants was in Texas, back in 1962. At the time, implants were quite firm and did not feel as natural as today's models. They also had short lifespans, rupturing quite quickly after implantation and resulting in serious health complications. After years of research and study, as well as being approved for use in 1976 by the FDA, they were banned later in 1992. The FDA cited potential health risks as the reason.

Then Came Saline...

Saline implants were designed almost a decade after silicone implants, in the early 1970s. Though they were perceived with suspicion at first, they were gradually accepted as a viable option for breast enlargement. Approval by the FDA occurred in 2000. Saline, as a filling, was not considered a problem. This was because even after an implant ruptured, saline entering the body was not as detrimental as silicone. Further, any rupture resulted in rapid deflation of the implant, allowing the patient to quickly remedy the problem. Rather, it was the sac in which it was held that posed a problem. As a result, the sac has been designed and redesigned over the years to what it is now today: a durable, three layered and pliable silicone elastomer that can have a textured or smooth surface.

Image from http://www.mentorcorp.com/