Silicone gel-filled breast implants are safe, says the Food and Drug Administration, though women should not expect that they will last forever.
Breast implants are medical devices implanted under the breast tissue or under the chest muscle (for men) to increase the size of the breast. The procedure is called breast augmentation, and is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures among women. In the US around 400,000 women underwent breast augmentation in 2010, with 70,000 of them receiving implants for breast reconstruction.
In the US, only two types of breast implants are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. One is saline-filled and the other silicone gel-filled implants, both with a silicone as an outer shell. The size of the implants, shell and shape depends on the patient and her wishes.
FDA deems silicone gel-filled breast implants as safe devices, but, in order to lower the risks of complications, they ask doctors to inform the patients about the risks, and to educate them about the procedures. Women who have breast implants, or are interested into getting their breasts augmented, should always consult with an expert plastic surgeon.
Regular checkups, scans, self-examinations and mammography are required to make sure an implant hasn’t ruptured.