In the past silicone breast implant manufacturers have been brought to court and fined successfully on numerous occasions. The majority of these happenings were in the early 1990's, the manufacturers themselves had to work hard to change their products image and safety. In the US the Food and Drugs Administration decided to ban silicone implants from sales in 1992. Afterwards only saline filled implants were available. Up to 2005 the only women that were allowed to receive silicone breast implants were those undergoing revision or reconstructive surgery.

Implant Structure

Saline implants consist of a silicone rubber shell which is inflated with sterile saline solution to the size desired by the patient. As with most implants, there are sealable valves.

Two forms of saline breast implants are available. Fixed volume implants contain the final quantity of saline fluid on implantation. Adjustable volume implants are filled intraoperatively, and can be further adjusted in size after the operation.

Silicone breast implants also have a silicone rubber shell, and are filled with a final quantity of silicon gel. Every implant has a small silicon rubber patch hiding the valve used to put the gel in. McGhan and Mentor, two large US silicon breast implant manufacturers, produce implants with three layers to stop gel leakages.

Shell textures can be smooth or rough, their shape, profile, volume, thickness and lumen number also vary. The majority of gel-filled breast implants are unable to be adjusted in size or other feature.

Pro's and Con's

Saline breast implants are very safe in that should any ruptures occur the salt water filler fluid harmlessly seeps into the body. What is not so good is that saline implants are more likely to display implant rippling, they can also occasionally look less natural when inserted into reconstructive or small breasted women. Very thin women tend to have breasts that look particularly unnatural or rippled since they have little flesh covering the implants.

At present all the in depth scientific studies made to find links between silicone implants and autoimmune or connective tissue diseases have deduced there is no connection. Some research has concluded that these implants are in fact safe for use, the FDA is looking into these claims at present. Any pre-filled implants, especially those with the firmer textured surfaces, tend, size depending, to require a larger incision to be able to place them inside the breast, so if scarring is a big issue then saline implants may be the way forward.

Developed in 1984 by Dr. Hilton Becker, implants that have an expandable central lumen of saline and an outer lumen of gel exist, providing the benefits of both types of implant filler. At a hugely more expensive price per implant ($2000-2200) these have not had mass appeal.