Is silicone safe to have in the body?

Yes, silicone is safe and is a product that we are all exposed to on a daily basis, especially in cosmetics and personal products. There is not another medical device that has been studied as much as breast implants. No study has shown that implants only cause autoimmune diseases. However, breast implant surgery may not be a one time only procedure.  If you are concerned about having implants, you might want to consider a fat transfer.

Yes silicone is safe. numerous studies involving 385,000 women with breast implants done in prestigious universities such as John Hopkins have concluded that there is no evidence that silicon gel implants produced autoimmune disease.

Breast implants are among the most tested of medical devices. No other medical device has been studied to the extent that breast implants have. Extensive studies of tens of thousands of women with breast implants have shown that both saline and silicone implants are safe. They do not produce a higher rate of breast cancer or autoimmune disease. After vigorous evaluation by the FDA, both are approved for cosmetic and reconstructive usage.

The majority of patients having breast augmentations are very pleased with their results. No one should enter into that procedure with the idea that the implants will last forever or that they may never need another breast surgery. There are a variety of reasons why a woman would have a secondary procedure: to alter the size of the implants as the patient ages and the size and shape of the breast naturally change, to correct the effects of pregnancy on the breasts, weight fluctuation, the implant can form a capsular contraction around it which produces a hardening, or the implant may leak. No one can guarantee the life cycle of an implant. 

Robert Singer, MD FACS 

La Jolla, California