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Why is Silicone Safe in Breast Implants, Not Injections?

asked 9 months ago by anon
Latest answer by Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Question viewed 318 times
Tags: silicone implant, FDA, safety, silicone poisoning

If so many doctors are against injecting silicone into other parts of the body, why are silicone breast implants considered safe?

I've read that they are likely to leak at least a little at some point -- so how is that silicone in your body any different than injecting it elsewhere?

11 answers to Why is Silicone Safe in Breast Implants, Not Injections?

Silicone safe for breast implants, but not for injection?

Great question! While my colleagues have predominantly talked about liquid silicone injections causing granulomas, your question (to me) still seems mostly unanswered. Dr. Aldea has given an answer that outlines why silicone injected in the form of liquid droplets within your tissues is different from a solid implant contained within its capsule (scar covering). He explains why the tiny scars your body forms around silicone droplets (injected silicone liquid causing granulomas) can... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

Silicone In Breast Implants vs as an Injectable Filler

This is a great question and a very logical one that is rarely asked. Liquid injectable silicone and silicone gel in breast implants differ in numerous ways which makes for a dramatic difference in how the body reacts to them. First, injectable silicone is a low-polymerized oil that is dispersed in the tissues in small droplet form. This leaves a lot of oil surface area for the body to react to and causes more natural inflammation due to its oil state. Silicone in breast implants is in a... more

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com

Why breast implants and not silicone injections

The silicone in a breast implant is contained in a silicone rubber elastomer shell and is not in contact with the tissue. Silicone injections into the breast form cysts or granulomas which become firm, calcify, and cannot be removed without removing the tissue around them which becomes disfiguring. What about a gel implant that leaks? Even small leaks will cause irritation of the breast and capsule, calcification of the capsule, and granulomas if the leak is outside of the capsule. Best... more

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

www.peterejohnsonmd.com

Why is Silicone Safe in Breast Implants, Not Injections?

Because the silicone implants are medical grade silicone gel ENCLOSED in a covering that has been FDA studied. Vs silicone injections are only acceptable in very very low doses for the face. Do some further self research.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Injected Silicone versus Breast Implants-What is all the fuss about?

While it is true that there are medical uses for injectable silicone gel such as in the eye, that is because the eye tissues react minimally to the presence of the gel when compared to other tissues of the body. Silicone gel freely injected into the skin, subcutaneous tissues, or lets say the breast will trigger a more aggressive foreign body reaction that can result in firm, hard, and often painful lumps called granulomas. These can be very difficult if not impossible to remove... more

Herluf G. Lund, Jr, MD
Saint Louis Plastic Surgeon

Silicone Implants vs. Silicone Injections

Silicone is one of the safest products used in medicine. It can be applied to the skin (shampoos). It can be ingested (medications). It coats Intravenous catheters. It can be implanted as breast, chin, cheek implants. It is used for tubing for lifesaving brain shunts. However, there is a huge difference between placing silicone breast implants and injecting liquid silicone into the body. Silicone injections consist of injecting silicone into the body to fill wrinkles or enlarge a... more

Joseph Mele, MD
Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon

Why is Silicone Safe in Breast Implants, Not Injections?

Great question. All of us want to be able to reverse a bad decision; that is the purpose of the back arrow at the top left of Internet Explorer, erasers at the ends of pencils, Mulligans in golf and to older members of the audience - Liquid Paper. Nothing like getting a do over without suffering the consequences of a poor decision or a complication. Breast implants are made of a silicone shell which contains EITHER salt water or silicone gel. When the shell leaks, the... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Medical grade silicone is nontoxic

Actually the FDA has cleared injectable silicone for the emergency treatment of retinal detachment, so it is considered safe enough to inject directly into your eye. The problem with nondegradable materials such as silicone when injected into the skin is that long-term the results might not look right even if they look good for the first few years. This is true for all materials that don't degrade and not related to any toxicity of silicone. However it should be pointed out that silicone... more

Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Injected silicone causes granulomas which are harmful

Silicone implants are contained within a silicone bag and generally do not leak outside the bag. Injected silicone causes granulomas (inflammatory nodules) throughout the breast tissue. These granulomas can lead to inflammation in your breasts and pain. Sometimes this condition requires removal of your breasts, called subcutaneous mastectomy. Fibrous capsules will form around breast implants which are not harmful.

James Tang, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Why is Silicone Safe in Breast Implants, Not Injections?

Silicone is not unsafe and does not cause health issues, and in implants the silicone is contained within an implant envelope. The more recent and more cohesive gel implants (from about 1994 on) are much less likely to result in silicone gel bleed and gel migration should an implant rupture...typically your scar tissue envelope that surrounds the implant holds the silicone gel in place. On the other hand, when liquid silicone is injected into your tissues, your body works to surround... more

Robert M. Grenley, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Silicone gel and liquid silicone

The short answer is that the silicone gel in implants is safe when contained in the silicone polymer bag. When it leaks, it is most often contained within the surrounding capsule. In 15% of the leaks, it can get extracapsular and then cause some of the mechanical issues with liquid silicone such as migration and granuloma formation.