Silicone Implants And Silicone Safety By Peter Butler

Welcome to The Firm. We offer excellence in cosmetic breast surgery across the UK.

Viewing most recent posts

All Posts

Silicone implants and silicone safety

There are 10,000 to 25,000 breast enlargements performed in the United Kingdom every year. The majority of implants used are silicone filled implants.

There were approximately 350,000 breast enlargements performed in the US in 2007. In the US the majority of implants inserted were saline filled implants following the silicone controversy. This is now changing as silicone filled implants are being re-introduced.

This occurred after the FDA in the US looked at the evidence around silicone implant safety and allowed their use again.

The modern silicone breast implant was first manufactured in 1963. All implants have a similar design, an outer silicone elastomer shell, which can be smooth or textured. It can have other variations of size and shape. The shell is then filled either with silicone or with saline.

The choice of implant is particular to each patients need. The modern silicone implant is filled with a cohesive type gel. This is a jelly like consistency so the silicone does not leak when cut. Click here to see a video of this demonstrated.

This type of implant is called a third generation implant as it replaces two previous developments of implant design. This also includes a tougher outer silicone shell which allows much less silicone “bleed” or diffusion as well as being filled with a more viscous and cohesive gel. A cohesive gel minimizes gel spread in the case of rupture of the implant.

Silicone and Silicone Implants
The basic substance in all implants is silicone gel. Silicone is a polymer of silicon and oxygen. Dimethylsiloxane is the form of silicone found in breast implants. It is one of the least reactive materials used in medical devices.

The shell is made of a tough rubber like silicone. The shell membrane is slightly permeable which gives rise to ‘bleed’. This leakage of silicone should be put into context. Silicone is everywhere in our surroundings from cosmetics to medical devices and may be present already in the body. The two main issues relating to Silicone Implant safety were regarding the risk of breast cancer and connective tissue disease.

Breast Cancer
There is no evidence that silicone causes cancer in humans. Furthermore studies have shown that women with silicone implants have 30% less breast cancer when compared to women without implants.

The idea that breast screening may be impaired by the presence of a breast implant has also been shown not to be true in a number of studies. Mammographic screening should take place as it would with any woman. Mammograms should be performed by a unit experienced in displacement views.

Connective tissue disorders
Studies to date have failed to find a connection with any connective tissue disease and silicone.‘Despite the many reports in the media, exhaustive evaluations by multiple prestigious scientific bodies such as the Institute of Medicine, the British Ministry of Health, a committee of the European Union (EQUAM), and multiple panels of experts established by various courts have confirmed that no evidence exists of any known or new systemic illness definitively attributed to silicones.’ eMedicine Breast Implants, Silicone: Safety and Efficacy 2005.

Silicone Implants in the United States
In April 1992, the Food and Drug Administration of the USA determined that concerning silicone implants was not sufficient to demonstrate the safety of silicone breast implants. The silicone breast implants were removed from the market.

Following this ruling Mentor Corporation and McGhan (Inamed) carried out a number of studies looking at silicone implant safety.In April 2005, third-generation silicone breast implants were given approval by the FDA for use in reconstructive patients. In 2006 the FDA approved the use of silicone breast implants for cosmetic use.

You and Your Silicone Implants
Silicone Implants continue to be the most popular type of implant used in the United Kingdom for breast enlargement. Discussion with your surgeon is important in making up your mind about whether breast enlargement is right for you. It is also important to discuss with you the type of implant you should use.

Find out more about Breast Enlargement at Mybreast

Categories

Your comments

February 4th 2009 at 12:22:36

MB said ...

I am almost 6 months post op and very pleased with the results of my augmentation but a bit worried about follow up. I am worried about rupture, how will I know when it happens? I read on a website that it is recommended that we have an MRI scan every few years to check for ‘rupture and leakage because the silicone can spread to lungs and lymph nodes’… this is frightening for me. I have an appointment coming up in two weeks, could I ask my surgeon to scan me???

May 13th 2009 at 17:35:25

Melissa Chaudhry said ...

I have had my implants for 14 months now and am very pleased with the size and shape however I still have some tenderness to my breasts and an achy feelling...I do go to the gym quite frequently and was wondering if using weights is affecting the healing process...I do also occassionly smoke approx 20 per week ( social) and wondered if this is also slowing down the healing...many tahnks

May 28th 2009 at 14:09:39

joanne said ...

i am 22 a size 34a i have had 2 children in 2 years and breastfed them both. i am 8.5 stone good skin 5.5 in height size 8 in clothes what size do you think i could go up to and they still look natural.

June 18th 2009 at 20:22:13

claire said ...

i am 30, no kids and am thinking about having breast augmentation due to different cup sizes which is noticable. Can you advise what I need to do.

June 30th 2009 at 16:17:34

sue said ...

I have had my silicone implants since 1990. I have never had a problem with them, but am worried about their durability, considering they are so old! How would I know if they were leaking? And would you recommend having them removed/replaced? Thank you, Sye

July 6th 2009 at 14:13:34

Julie Davies said ...

I thought of having implants since i was 20, now i am 34. Yes still thinking. I have had no children and do not lack self esteem either in a bikini or in any situation. I guess its just something a girl just wants to do. I have met a few Plastic Surgeons and not felt 100% happy with them. I am 34, 5'7, size 8 and currently 32C with a very small back. Would you recomend that i had it done and to what sensible size, that still looks natural. Many thanks

August 5th 2009 at 23:10:26

Lauren said ...

I am 24 years old. ive had twin boys 2 years ago. But i only ever went up one cup size, so I'm not saggy. I am getting Breast Implants a.s.a.p, I still can't decide what size to go up to without looking just like a big walking pair of boobs! I want to sit up high even without a bra. Pert, and firm. I am a 32/34A. My height is 5'5''. My waist is 26'' approx, my hips are 36/37'' approx. im a size 8 - 10. (Although at my slimest ive been a size 6 a few months ago.) What bust size would make me in good proportion?? I've been researching for so long now and still unsure of what size would suit me. Please help! Thank you. I was going to go up to a DD but i think this is too big now! I'm torn between a Full C or a Small D. but I am so unsure what my "ideal" size is?? Lauren

August 6th 2009 at 20:53:47

alix wright said ...

I am black british, healthy, 28 years of age. i have a scar that is keloid. will this happen if I have implants? id like to know how it would turn out.

August 10th 2009 at 21:29:00

Miss Linda Gordon said ...

I have booked my beast augmentation for 10th September. I am a 38A, have a large back size, but would like to be a nice full shape. considering a size 38D. I sometimes have to buy sizes 40A for the bra straps can be too tight at 38A or B. What size and shape can you advice me. I want to look full and natural. Can you help me, Linda

August 26th 2009 at 08:28:06

debra said ...

hi I had breast augmentation July 2008 I was really happy with the results at first but gradually they have dropped and seem to have 'shrunk', I wanted them natural looking but I feel that they don't look like they did when I first had them done. I have been back to the surgeon but he said that they are fine. I measured a D/DD but now I don't seem to fill the bra at the top there is alot of gaping. I have recently lost a stone in weight would that be a cause of my breasts to reduce even with implants in? I have always felt that the breast pocket has not been filled with the right sized implant if that makes sense. there is alot of movement in my breasts.

August 26th 2009 at 19:40:23

Lenka said ...

hello!I'm from Slovakia,but I'm working and living in Northern Ireland and I really want to have a bigger breast,because I think I have size 0,so I just want to ask you,when I have 155cm and 47 kg,how big implants can I have and for how much is that operation approximately?Thank you for your answer...

September 30th 2009 at 10:36:10

melissa said ...

I would like to have a breast enlargment and nose job but would like to know a rough guide to how much that would cost. And if i could get them down in one go?

October 7th 2009 at 15:31:20

May said ...

Hi there I had silicone breast implants about 12 years ago. I know they often only last about 10 years and wondered how I would know if they need replacing/removing. One breast has calcified over the past 5 years and is very firm, the other is soft however has started feeling tender recently. I am currently trying to conceive and wondered what I should do. Thank you

December 4th 2009 at 13:07:16

NIKKI said ...

MY BREAT IMPLANTS PIP CLOVERLEAF SILICONE - HAVE RUPTURED AND CAUSING ME TERRIBLE PAIN....ITS LEAKING INTO MY LYMPTH GLANDS AND MY WHOLE ARM IS NUMBE - MY SURGERON IS TRYING TO CHARGE ME AGAIN AND CLOVERLEAF WILL GIVE ME THE IMPLANTS BUT THATS IT....NHS WONT HELP..WHAT DO I DO?? PLEASE HELP

January 9th 2010 at 17:34:48

amy said ...

im 18, and am interested in breast augmentation i am a 34a and would like to know what size i could go up to? thanks

January 13th 2010 at 12:24:29

Angela Davies said ...

Hello, Could you please inform me if breast implants alone would lift breast. Kind regards, Angela Davies

January 31st 2010 at 23:06:54

sharon giliker said ...

this might not be connected but i've just had an mri scan on my neck and head, because the consultant thinks my adenoids have regrown. since then my neck had become swollen and that seems to have disappeared and my left implant had become very hard, swollen and hot. my implants were inserted 30th august 2007, i took myself off to a&e to which i were told there were no signs of infections, so i took myself to the surgeon who performed the surgery to be told he'd booked me into the local hospital for introvenous antibiotics and an ultrasound, upon having the ultrasound lots of bloody like fluid war drained but not all. breast had gone soft til about 5 hours later, i was given the option of leaving it to see how it settles or to go to theatre an have implant removed washed, inside my breast washed and implant re inserted but with a risk of infection and losing it. nhs wont pay for new ones and i'm still paying for the originals so i chose to wait and see, although i think this may have been a mistake now. is there any chance that the silicon implant may have ruptured and gone to my nodes as i'm now being told that when they rupture the cling to nodes, please can you answer asap as i've just had a biopsy as on the mri scan neck nodes were showing and they think its to do with my adenoids. i know this is a bit drawn out but i thought i'd give you most of the info i have. THANKS x

March 7th 2010 at 20:40:20

Chevonn said ...

Hi, i'm almost 19 now and i am a very small 32c. I am very self concious about the way they look and would love to have them enlarged. But i am very worried about the stories of complications after surgery with leakage, etc. I am also worried about scars. I would also like to know rougly how much it would cost? Thanks x

March 11th 2010 at 15:41:46

Peter Butler replied @ MB...

Hi MB, If you have had a modern implant i.e. a cohesive gel implant 'leak' as understood in the past will not occur. If these implants are cut or the shell is breached the gel sits there like a firm jelly or 'gummy bear'. Previous implants used to 'leak' a viscous solution of silicone because the implant was filled with a liquid form of silicone and not a jelly form. I usually recommend to patients that they see their surgeon if there is a problem or change in their implants. Let your surgeon recommend if you need a scan. I think an MRI is not necessary unless there is a clinical reason to carry it out. When dealing with patients with older implants (i.e. non cohesive implants) I usually scan people at about 10 years or more post implantation. My preferred initial scan is ultrasound which is easier and less expensive. I usually reserve MRI where I need more detail. I would also may scan if the implant has changed i.e. become hard etc. For modern cohesive implants this may not need to be done as in theory they will not 'leak' as the older implants did in the past.

March 11th 2010 at 15:43:39

Peter Butler replied @ Melissa Chaudhry...

Hi Melissa, healing can take sometime. The scar usually will give you some indication of the healing process and is unique to every individual. The scar is in the first instance red and this usually lasts for four to six months but can last up to 18 months and on occasion in unusual circumstances for 24 months. Abnormal scarring such as hypertrophic scarring (raised red and bumpy scars) is very rare and can take this long to settle down. Products such as 'Heal', 'Dermatix', 'Siligel' etc can accelerate the scar maturation process. Scar maturation also occurs internally. If you implants were inserted under the muscle heavy workouts with upper body bench press etc could be uncomfortable while this healing process is going on. Smoking is not great for skin and causes premature ageing it also inhibits wound healing. If you are concerned I would go back to your surgeon to be examined and to put your mind at ease.

March 11th 2010 at 15:44:33

Peter Butler replied @ joanne...

Hi Joanne, this is difficult to answer without examining you. Things that also would make a difference would be chest wall size, shape and body frame, the base and size of your breasts, whether your breasts have drooped following children. It would also be important to examine the quality of your breat skin and tissues. I would reccomend that you see your My Breast surgeon to get some professional advice.

March 11th 2010 at 15:45:32

Peter Butler replied @ claire...

Hi Claire, there are a number of options but you need to examined to give you accurate advice. You can enlarge the smaller breast to match the size of the other breast. You reduce the larger breast to match the smaller breast. Or you can do a combination of the two. In my experience there usually is not only a difference in size but also shape and dimension between both breasts so enlargement of the smaller one alone will not always achieve symmetry.

March 11th 2010 at 15:46:40

Peter Butler replied @ sue ...

Hi Sue, I would suggest that it is a good idea to replace them at this stage. If you have had no change in the implants then they are probably intact. This should be checked with a scan (an ultrasound or MRI). However, the older the implant becomes the easier it is for rupture to occur. This comes from some research which examined the strength of the silicone wall of breast implants over time. It showed that the strength of the silicone wall of the implant dropped as they got older. So on this basis I would recommend that you replace or remove your implants.

March 11th 2010 at 15:40:35

Peter Butler replied @ sharon giliker...

Hi Sharon, Looking at this case without examining you is difficult. You state that the implant became hot, tender and hard. This sounds like you have developed an infection in your breast implant. Infection is a uncommon complication and if it were to occur occurs after insertion. It is extremely rare to occur after this unless there is a reason i.e. an accident involving the area. Very rarely a person can get an infection in another site either urinary tract or elsewhere and the implants or implant can become infected. This is so rare it reported in the medical literature. Dealing with an infected implant is best dealt with by the surgeon who put them in. The first approach is intravenous antibiotics. Next is to take the implant out and washout the cavity and reinsert it. Unfortunately if the implant is really infected this approach rarely works and the implant has to be removed. The operative site is then left to recover over a number of months and the implants are then replaced at a later stage. In regards to your neck lymph glands these could be related to another cause. Usually it is infection in the throat area and if it persists it should be investigated. It would be very unusual to be related to your implants. The lymph glands that are related to your breast are located in your armpit. Your implants were put in in 2007 and as such should be modern cohesive gel implants. These should not 'leak'. The gel is in a jelly like consistency and not in a fluid like consistency as seen in older implants.

Want to ask me a question?

Name:
Email:
Message:	Your message goes here

Go back to all posts