Breast Augmentation – FDA-Approved Silicone Breast Implants – Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Patients who choose to undergo breast augmentation have a variety of treatment options, including incision location (in the fold of the breast, armpit, or areola), implant placement (above or below the chest muscle), implant shape (round or teardrop), and implant filler (silicone or saline). Which of these options you and your surgeon decide upon will depend on your body type, your aesthetic preference, and your safety. On November 17, 2006, the FDA approved silicone gel–filled breast implants for use in breast augmentation. Our Virginia-based practice, which serves Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas, now provides silicone breast implants for aesthetic breast enhancement.

• FDA Approval of Silicone Implants
• Silicone vs. Saline
• Contact Us

FDA Approval of Silicone Implants

After extensive research and scientific review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of silicone gel–filled breast implants. The FDA’s decision to approve silicone implants for use in cosmetic breast augmentation surgery was based on results from clinical trials, an analysis of studies by independent scientific researchers, and inspections of the manufacturing process for the implants. After reviewing the extensive data, which provides no clear evidence that silicone implants are associated with connective tissue disease or cancer, the FDA concluded that silicone gel–filled implants are safe and effective.

On the FDA’s official website, Daniel Schultz, M.D., director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, names the silicone breast implant as one of the most extensively studied medical devices. Now that the product is approved for use on the market, the FDA can conduct a large-scale post-approval study to monitor any adverse effects reported in the next 10 years by following approximately 40,000 women who have undergone breast augmentation with silicone breast implants.

Silicone vs. Saline

There are advantages and disadvantages to both saline and silicone breast implants. The method of breast augmentation used at our Virginia and Washington, D.C.–area practice will depend on each patient’s characteristics and preference. Many cosmetic surgeons feel that silicone gel–filled implants appear more natural than saline implants, as the texture more closely resembles that of natural breast tissue. In addition, silicone breast implants are far less likely to ripple, as saline implants sometimes can. Silicone implants, however, have a higher incidence of rupture and are associated more often with capsular contracture. Rupturing of silicone implants can be more difficult to detect than with saline implants. Dr. Roberta Gartside will determine which type of breast implant is right for you during your breast augmentation consultation at her practice in Virginia, serving Washington , D.C.

Contact Us

To learn more about the safety of silicone breast implants, schedule a breast augmentation consultation with Dr. Gartside at her Virginia and Washington, D.C.–area practice.