Today’s silicone gel filled breast implant has come a long way from the device that was used by Dr. Cronin in Houston, Texas in 1962. Problems associated with this and other earlier breast implants have led to the advances that have taken today’s silicone gel filled breast implant to the level of safety comparable to the saline implant, while also raising the standard on quality and durability.
Back in those early pioneering days, Dr. Cronin utilized a sponge containing silicone oils that were thick liquids which escaped into the surrounding tissue when implanted under the breast, causing inflammation. Eventually, most women developed a thick, contractile (shrinking) scar tissue, which deformed the implant making it feel firm (hardening of the implant). This process is known as capsular contracture, and can occur with both saline and silicone gel implants. It was this problem alone that drove doctors, scientists and engineers to create today’s implant. Improvements were made to not only the silicone, but also to the creation and improvement of the containing part of the device, the shell.
Today’s silicone gel filled breast implant contains a semi-solid gel that have no loose oils that could potentially penetrate the outer shell. This new substance is called ‘cohesive’ by the Allergan Company and ‘memory gel’ by the Mentor company. Both are thick gels that are not liquid, and do not run. They are not thick enough to hold a shape, so they are very soft and need to be contained in an outer shell. The soft nature of this cohesive gel allows manufacturers to utilize a round and smooth shell, to obtain the most natural, smoothest and softest result.
For more information, please call 310-275-0040 or visit www.drminniti.com .