What Is the Difference Between Silicone and Gore Tex Implant? Which One is More Natural?

Silicone implants are made from linked chains of siloxane molecules.  The number of molecules linked together determines whether the silicone is liquid, gel or solid.  Clearly implants utilized in the face are of the solid phase and feel like a super-ball prior to implant.  Gor-Tex is expanded poly-tetrafluroethelene.  It is a white firm spongy consistency. 

Either implant is appropriate for facial use in the nose (with care however and cartilage is preferrable in most instances), cheek or chin augmentation.  Most implants for cheek and chin augmentation are either silicone or silicone with a Gortex cover.  Most nasal implants in the U.S. that are synthetic are Gor-Tex, but in Asia silicone is used very frequently. 

The advantage of Gor Tex or silicone coated Gor-Tex is that a small amount of tissue ingrowth is possible that stabilizes the implant.  The disadvantage of solid Gor-Tex implants is that they undergo some shrinkage over time with loss of volume and at times length, which can be problematic. Silicone has neither tissue ingrowth or shrinkage, but is stabilized by a capsule of tissue the body forms around it. 

In summary, in my opinion, for nasal implants cartilage is best and if necessary Gor-Tex is preferred, but only on the dorsum, not in the tip.  For cheek or chin augmentation either is appropriate and yields excellent results, however I prefer silicone or Gor-Tex coated silicone to avoid shrinkage. 

        Both can appear natural, but if the implant needs to be removed silicone removal will be easier.  Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of rhinoplasties and rhinoplasty revisions each year.  Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.

Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Best chin implant material in my 35 years of experience is silicone. They come in different sizes and shapes and if you have an infection are the easiest to remove and replace later. 

The best nasal implant is your own cartilage. Among synthetic implants both Gore-tex and silicone can be used. Silicone is available in many shapes and sizes to achieve different results depending upon the patient's anatomy. This tends to be most effective in patients with thicker skin but still has the risk of infection and extrusion. Gore-tex tends to be best used for augmentation of the nasal bridge where sheets of Gore-tex can be layered to provide precise and stable augmentation of the profile of the nose. Again, infection is a risk with any synthetic implant but there is typically an acceptable low risk if Gore-tex is properly placed. I hope this information is helpful.

Both products may be used for augmentation of the nasal bridge during Rhinoplasty Surgery, and the choice depends on both the experience of your surgeon, and your ethnicity. Silicone nasal implants are most commonly used in Asian patients, or other ethnic patients with thick skin. ePTFE implants are my personal preference for most patients requesting dorsal nasal augmentation.

Both products are safe, but have a risk of infection and extrusion over a lifetime: approximately 3-5%.

Hope this is helpful for you.

Dr. Joseph

 Both implants are synthetic and each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Silicone  is easy to  insert and remove if ever necessary.   Tissue ingrowth occurs when Gore-Tex is placed and can be difficult to remove when infected.  It is always best to use patient's own cartilage rather than synthetic implants regarding the nose, if there is enough cartilage to use for the augmentation

The most popular nasal implants both here in the U.S and around the world are made of silicone. They have the greatest number of shapes and sizes and are easy to insert and remove. The only Gore-tex nasal implants are those that are made of silicone with a layer of Gore-tex material as a coating.  Both types of synthetic nasal implants, if size and shape are properly selected, can look natural. The advantage of the Gore-tex coating is that it allows for more tissue adhesion to the implant which is beneficial to prevent shifting or displacement of the implant after surgery.

Gore-tex and silicone are synthetic materials widely used in medicine for "alloplastic" implants. Gore-tex is a patented form of expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and silicone is a polymer typically composed of silicon, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.  While these substances perform admirably in other parts of the body, they tend not to do as well in the nose, often becoming infected and rejected by the body. While we aren't certain the exact mechanism by which such implants do well in certain parts of the body but are more problematic in the nose, suffice it to say that when undergoing rhinoplasty nasal reshaping, we always advise patients to utilize  their body's own tissue, i.e. cartilage. Septal cartilage, ear cartilage, or rib cartilage will yield the safest, best rhinoplasty results with the least risk of having a devastating failure requiring re-operation. Your surgeon should be able to help you decide which is best for you. Check out Chapters 10 and 12 in my book, Facial Plastic Surgery Complications, that discuss this topic more fully.