In 2006, the plastic surgery profession saw a lot of new innovations. From the increased popularity of thread procedures to other advancements, it was a year where procedures became more advanced, particularly in relation to improved recovery times. In general, this trend should continue in 2007, but the new year is destined to be known for one thing and one thing only.
2007 will forever be known as the year silicone breast implants returned to plastic surgery. As you may have heard, silicone is officially back. Ever since its ban, there have been more and more questions about the merit of why the silicone breast implant was banned in the first place.
In the 1980s, the popularity of silicone breast implants was undisputed. They were so popular, that manufacturers had difficulty keeping up with the demand. Then things took a turn for the worse. Simply put, questions started being raised about the impact of silicone implants on the health of women. The problem was not the very notion of silicone implants, but how they were performing over time.
In liquid form, silicone is not good for the body. With implants, the silicone was in a quasi-liquid form. For form and safety purposes, however, it was encapsulated in harder material. Problems started to rise as people became concerned that the implants were leaking silicone either through ?sweating? or outright leaks in the capsule contain the material. As silicone entered the body, it caused all types of health problems and resulted in disability and even death. At least, these were the general claims. In the resulting hysteria, silicone implants were banned for elective surgery.
In the ensuing years, the manufactures of silicone implants argued that there was no evidence supporting the ban. The government disagreed, but agreed to revisit the issue from time to time. In response, the manufacturers eventually came up with new implant designs that offered better encapsulation of the silicone. The government finally relented and announced at the end of 2006 that it will allow silicone implants to be put back on the elective surgery market.
So, does all of this mean silicone implants are safe? Well, maybe. The lifting of the ban is based more on a lack of evidence of harm being caused than it is on a declaration of safety. Before you rush out for silicone implants, you should discuss in detail the risks and benefits of them compared to saline implants, which do not contain silicone. Regardless, there is little doubt that silicone implants will become popular again and be the story in 2007 when it comes to plastic surgery.
