Silicone Breast Implants
“For as long as I can remember, I wanted to have bigger breasts. As I grew older, my breasts did not increase in size despite my mother's assurances that they would. So, I did a bit of research and opted for silicone breast augmentation”. Well, Nicole isn’t the only one to opt for this surgery, there are many like her who’d love to follow her footsteps, but not necessarily for the same reasons. Some common reasons for them may be to reshape and enlarge their breasts that have lost shape due to breast feeding or to balance the size of the breasts, if the two have taken different sizes. Whatever it may be, the decision to go in for breast augmentation for anyone is never physical appearance alone, it’s also the way one feels about oneself and one’s body from the inside.
What is silicone?
The material that means so much to women’s self-esteem certainly needs a closer look. Silicon, the second most abundant element on earth next to oxygen, is naturally found in sand, quartz and rock. When mixed with oxygen, hydrogen and carbon, silicon becomes silicone. Silicone can be molded into a variety of forms, like silicone gels and rubbers. And it’s not only employed in silicone breast implants, but also in facial implants, artificial joints, drainage systems, and the like.
Understanding silicone gel implants
Gone are the days when silicone gel breast implants had thick shells containing thick gels with a higher rate of rupture. Today, these thick shells have been successfully replaced with thinner ones. The ones currently in use are McGhan and Mentor silicone breast implants. McGhan and Mentor silicone implants have three layers of shell surrounding the implant to prevent ‘gel bleed’. Despite this, these implants still remain very soft and natural feeling. These shells come pre-filled and no gel needs to be added later on.
Safety of silicone breast implant
There is no doubt that silicone implants have been the most controversial. Some women claimed to get connective tissue disorders and other illnesses due to silicone breast implant and FDA banned these breast implants in 1992 for use by the general public.
Silicone breast implant problems may include:
a. Rupture and gel bleed resulting in silicone travelling to other parts of the body. Ruptured silicone implant occurs due to a split or hole in the shell of a breast implant caused by the weakness of material or as a result of damage to the implant. It should not be confused with gel bleed, in which low molecular weight components migrate through the intact implant shell.
b. Connective tissue disorders, in which the body reacts to its own tissue as though it was a foreign material, is said to be caused by silicone implants, but has not been proved conclusively.
c. Other problems, like immunological and neurological disorders, and the risk of silicone implant cancer.
Getting silicone breast implants
Although FDA has put a ban on silicone breast implants, you can still get them if you qualify the following conditions:
a. If your silicone breast implants, put previously, need a replacement.
b. If you need a lift and breast implant simultaneously.
c. If your skin is thin with small, hanging breasts.
d. If saline breast implants have caused rippling of the skin.
e. If there’s a severe asymmetry between the breasts.
f. If there are chest wall deformities.
The rider is you’ll have to enroll in a study and be willing to be followed for a period of five to ten years, if you want to get silicone implants!
The truth is you don’t need to go in for silicone breast implants for breast enlargement. Only if you’ve problems mentioned above should you go in for this and that too after consulting with your physician.
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