Cosmetic Surgery – Silicone Implants

In the United States silicone became widely used for cosmetic surgery in the 1950s, for implants or injections directly in the area patients wanted augmented. However, by the 1960s it became apparent that the injected liquid silicone was migrating to other parts of the body over time and causing serious medical problems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of liquid silicone injections soon after.

However, silicone gel was still being used for breast implants and women who had leaking or broken breast implants suffered similar medical conditions to those treated with liquid silicone. Some patients also developed capsular contracture - the severe hardening of tissue surrounding the implant. It is believed that over two million women the United States have had silicone breast implants and since the early 1990s over 20,000 women have filed a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer, Dow Corning, which subsequently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Since then, Dow Corning, Baxter International, Bristol-Myers Squibb, 3M and Union Carbide have reached a settlement agreement, whereby US$4.23 billion was placed in a trust to compensate victims.

Nowadays, saline implants are available for cosmetic surgery; however, these implants come in a silicone casing and it is not yet clear if there are any long-term health effects associated with this. Also, saline implants are more prone to rupture and although saline poses no health risks, patients will have to undergo more surgery to replace the implants, adding to the overall trauma.