Silicone breast implants are no more likely to rupture than saline breast implants according to the most recent data from the FDA protocol studies which have been ongoing for over ten years now. Silicone breast implants are actually the most investigated device in the history of the FDA. The approval for silicone implants to be made available two years ago (April 2006) to women who desired breast augmentation was applauded by plastic surgeons across the country.

The “new” silicone implants, which have a sturdier thicker shell and a cohesive gel instead of liquid silicone inside, have been studied for over ten years. In this study, saline and silicone implants were compared and found to be quite similar in their performance. The liquid silicone implants of twenty years ago, which were found to an increased risk of contractures and hardening of the breast, are no longer available. The current silicone implants have not been associated with an increased rate of contractures as compared to saline implants and research studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of breast implants are ongoing.

As a plastic surgeon who routinely performs breast augmentation for her patients, Dr. Kimberly Short states “I would not hesitate to recommend silicone implants for my sister, mother, or best friend. And in fact, I have placed them for my best friend!”
Dr. Short, an Indianapolis based surgeon, feels that many of her “patients really appreciate the difference in softness between silicone and saline implants, especially if they have very little breast tissue to begin with.”