Are Silicone Breast Implants Safe?

There is a question on RealSelf from 4yrs ago about safety of implants & doctor were sure, however the FDA's updated report in 2011 shows uncertainty: "The FDA believes that silicone breast implants have a reasonable assurance of safety" "There is no apparent association between connective tissue disease & silicone gel-filled breast implants, although most of the available studies have limitations" 'Reasonable assurance' and 'apparent association' doesn't sound SAFE. What is the truth?

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7 Doctor Answers | Asked by simonal in Portland, OR

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Silicone Implant Safety

There have been numerous studies demonstrating the safety of breast implants. Since the moratorium the implant manufacturing process is better and the implants are more stable. The FDA's legal ease is to keep them from getting involved in litigation. The biggest problems with silicone is local implant problems such as encapsulation and hardening. If you use a small implant and have a significant amount of breast tissue to cover it there is little difference between the two... more

Robert Kearney, MD, FACS

6 reviews

La Jolla Plastic Surgeon

Safety and Breast Implants

There are inherent risks with any medical procedure, especially major surgery. Breast Implant surgery is no exception to this. In my experience, silicone breast implants pose no greater risk than saline implants, and during our patient consultations we discuss both options, including risks and rewards, to determine the right implant for that specific person. The most important thing is to pay attention to your body. If you experience any problems with either type of... more

Safety of silicone implants

Silicone implants are safe. There have been numerous studies performed over the last 15 years that support this statement.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Silicone breast implants are safe, at least according to the FDA

In 2006 the FDA gave approval to silicone gel-filled breast implants. Interestingly, saline filled breast implants were only FDA approved in 2000. these decisions were not reached without a huge amount of discussion, review of study data, and controversy. My personal opinion is that breast implants, saline or a silicone, are "safe," and I offer them to my patients. As you noticed, words like "reasonable assurance" and "apparent association" are... more

Are Silicone Breast Implants Safe?

It's my personal opinion from practicing this profession for thirty years and seeing all the various studies, that silicone implants do not pose any significant increased health risk. But that doesn't mean you may feel that way. We also have saline implants available. I like to go over the pros and cons of both types with my patients and leave it to them to choose. My feeling is that you should not have something placed in your body that is going to give you constant concern. Life is too... more

Silicone Implants Are Safe

All surgical procedures carrt some risk including having a mole removed. There is no way the FDA would allow silicone implants to return to the market if they had any significant concerns. The one exception is a particular brand of implants used in Europe, etc., but these were never approved for use in this country.

Silicone Breast Implants Safe

Gel implants are safe. The FDA website has a detailed summary of risks. To summarize, as the entirety is too large for the website. "Breast implants are not lifetime devices. The longer a woman has implants, the more likely it is that she will need to have surgery to remove them. The most frequent complications and adverse outcomes experienced by breast implant patients include capsular contracture, reoperation, and implant removal (with or without replacement). Other common... more