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What is the Rate of Gel Bleeding in Current Silicone Implants?

I know that the new highly cohesive gel gummy bear implants are advertised as having low rupture and low gel bleeding rate. What about the regular cohesive gel implants such as Allergan Natrelle (not gummy bear) and Mentor Memory-Gel?

Doctor Answers 6

What's the rate of gel bleed?

June 8th, 2013
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First we had Dow Corning gel implants some with patches or tabs on them, then saline implants, then low bleed implants. Now you are told the gel bleed problem has been solved. Because I've seen many implants and many promises about implants that later proved to be incorrect my opinion is as long as there is gel inside a shell it can and will likely at some time, some place get out side the shell and cause problems. I base this opinion on past experience over many years and the common sense statement that nothing lasts forever. I have rarely removed silicone implants that have been in place 20 years or more that do not show good evidence of silicone outside the implant shell. Silicone outside the shell can and will migrate into and through the capsule and often causes an inflammatory reaction that leads to late capsular contracture and not uncommonly and egg shell like calcification of the implant capsule. To know for sure there will NEVER be ANY gel bleed I think a longer and more rigorous period of testing is needed. Do we have long term proof that even microscopic molecules of silicone are never found outside the implant shell? The silicone implants are much more expensive than saline implants that have a long record of good results and safety. Do we have enough long term evidence to prove the others are enough better to justify the greater expense? Until I have more long term results, my preference is the saline implant with a longer record of good results and safety. Best wishes.

Joseph Hayhurst, MD


Oklahoma City Plastic Surgeon

Gel Bleed

June 10th, 2013
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That was an issue with the old silicone implants that were taken off the market.  Those implants would leave your hands slick after holding because of the gel bleed.  That is not an isuue with the current silicone implants.

Rigo Mendoza, MD

Rigo Mendoza, MD
Tampa Plastic Surgeon
4.3 out of 5 stars 34 reviews

Gel bleed

June 8th, 2013
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Gel bleed was an issue with older implants. As far as I know that is not an issue with the newer ones that are on the market.

Steven Wallach, MD

Steven Wallach, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon
4.1 out of 5 stars 23 reviews

GEL BLEED

June 8th, 2013
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Gel bleeding has been eliminated in the newer silicone gel implants.  This was an issue prior to 1992.

Web reference: http://www.toddbkochmd.com

Todd B. Koch, MD

Todd B. Koch, MD
Buffalo Plastic Surgeon
4.7 out of 5 stars 33 reviews

Gel Bleeding with Modern Gel Implants Eliminated

June 8th, 2013
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The new modern gel implants do not have the gel bleed issues of the older implants.  The breast implant manufactors have done a great job eliminating this issue.

Robert E. Zaworski, MD

Robert E. Zaworski, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 55 reviews

Gel bleeding is effectively zero with modern breast implants.

June 8th, 2013
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Gel "bleeding" is a phenomenon where the silicone gel molecules can work their way through the silicone shell of the breast implant. Whether this was a significant problem is a some debate but the manufacturers have effectively eliminated this process.

Web reference: http://www.zubowicz.com/subpag,13-atlanta-breast-augmentation.htm

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 31 reviews

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