Recent data regarding silicone implants evidently indicates their use to be relatively safe and effective, despite the occurrence of frequent complications which may lead to about every one out of five cosmetic surgery recipients to have an accredited cosmetic surgeon remove these silicone implants in less than ten years from the insertion date.

As many as one in every five women opting for silicone implants for use in performance of their breast cosmetic surgical procedures, and about fifty percent of women, who received silicone implants during their mastectomy, were again required to undergone revision surgical procedures for removal of these implant in less than a decade, as per a report published by the US Food and Drug Administration.

US Food and Drug Administration Report

This FDA report, which forms one of the lengthiest studies to date on silicone implants, advises that patients should take cognizance of the fact that silicone implants can not be considered as devices that offer lifetime assurance. It further reports that longer a patient carries these implants in their bodies, the more probable it will become for their removal eventually.

As per available statistics, cosmetic surgeons in the United States performed as many as 400,000 silicone implants for breast surgical procedures in 2010. Nearly three-quarter of these procedures were performed to augment the breasts of women, while the remaining quarter were similarly used for reconstruction procedures for breasts. Among the total silicone implants used in various surgeries, nearly a half were used as implants containing silicone gel, whereas the remaining half of total silicone implants used were saline filled.

Removal and Later Reintroduction of Silicone Implants

In 1992, after various complaints were strongly raised regarding severe deficiency of reliable safety data, as well as serious concerns related to linkage of leaking silicone implants to various diseases of the human immune system, the product had to be removed from the market in larger public interest.

However, towards end of 2006, FDA once more permitted reintroduction of silicone implants into the market, in consideration of conclusive clinical trials that showed absence of proven links between a number of fearful diseases and incidents of silicone implant leakage among diverse recipients. Cosmetic surgeons as well as several women vehemently demanded return of implant versions with silicone content, as it was claimed that silicone implants felt and looked a lot more natural compared to saline implants, which tended to easily ripple as they essentially comprised implants of salt-water solution.

Your Surgeon’s Advice

Further, one of the first crucial things that accredited and reputable cosmetic surgeons, particular those associated with breast and buttocks surgery, will bring to your immediate notice usually is the fact that silicone implants, regardless of their popular affectivity and innumerable special features, should never be considered as lifetime devices. To be precise, most warranties normally offered by respective silicone implants manufacturers, only provide coverage for a specified 10 year term. Given the evident nature of silicone implants, various revision surgeries, commonly thought of as far off future eventualities, is in fact an expected reality at a certain point during the lifetime of your silicone implants.