A new type of silicone breast implant, currently available to women who agree to be part of a clinical study, offers breast augmentation and reconstruction patients more natural looking breasts with a low complication rate, according to a recent study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
The new gel implants will be the next type of silicone implant produced by manufacturers if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the devices to be marketed and sold in the United States.
The new devices are more cohesive than those currently being considered by the FDA. They have a gummy consistency, which allows them to hold their shape better than saline.
According to the study, the gummy consistency decreases the likelihood of rippling and provides greater safety because, being more solid, the silicone may not escape from the shell if it were to rupture. The more cohesive silicone material and its textured shell also give the implant a very natural and proportionate breast shape.