Many materials have been used to enlarge the breast. Most have fallen into disuse and implants remain the method of choice for breast augmentation.
• The most common method is the use of implants. These have been used since the early 1960s. An early implant was made of silicone and introduced in 1964. Silicone gel implants are the "gold standard" by which other methods are judged. They feel more natural, and are less likely to ripple or wrinkle than saline implants. Although they have the problems of any implant such as capsular formation, the association with autoimmune illness has not been confirmed by long term studies.
The three main differences between saline implants and silicone gel implants are:
• gel implants feel more natural
• saline implants are more likely to leak from the valve
• saline implants have more wrinkling
ASPS video about the return of breast implants (2006)
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Silicone gel implants are now freely available around the globe. They were available outside the United States for many years. New gel implants were re-introduced to the United States after extensive research in late 2006. These new implants are sometimes called a “gummy bear” implant. The manufacturer uses this term because the gel is solid and behaves like a “gummy bear” when cut.
Timeline of events for breast implants
Both saline implants and gel implants can have a smooth or textured surface.
• Silicone and paraffin were injected directly into the breast. This method is no longer used because of the high risk of complications, such as granulomas, loss of skin and excess scar formation. Many women who had these injections developed very misshapen breasts.
• Injections of the patients own tissue such as fat, muscle, omentum, lipomas and skin-fat grafts have all been used to enlarge the breast. Unfortunately the results are unpredictable. Scarring and irregularity are a problem but more significant is the development of microcalcifications that make mammography less reliable.
• Various non-surgical methods such as breast creams and suction pumps have also been used. The results are unreliable. In the case of the pump, although some increase may be noticed its use is cumbersome and the long term effects unknown.
Alternative names: silicone, paraffin, fat graft, suction pump, breast cream, saline implant, gel implant, gummy bear, textured implant, smooth implant, augmentation mammoplasty, augmentation mammaplasty, breast enhancement, breast enlargement, breast augmentation, BAM.