History of Breast Implants

Modern breast implants for New Jersey and Philadelphia breast enlargement patients are safe and effective medical devices. But breast augmentation wasn't always a safe or medically-sound procedure.

The Beginnings

In the 1890's doctors attempted placing paraffin wax in the breast to create an enlarged appearance. This procedure left hard, lumpy areas which often became infected, and most doctors had abandoned the technique by the early 1900's.

Between 1920 and 1940, surgeons attempted fat injections to increase bust size. Fat was removed from the abdomen and placed in the breast. Unfortunately much of the fat was absorbed and the results were unpredictable. This technique also was abandoned due to poor results. If fat-injection breast enlargement sounds familiar, that may be because in recent years surgeons have again started to offer this procedure, again with often unpredictable results. An American Society of Plastic Surgery task force recently urged that plastic surgeons use extreme caution if considering breast enhancement using fat.

The next failed attempt in the history of breast augmentation involved direct silicone injections. This was widely tried but had disastrous results. Direct silicone injections often caused chronic inflammation, foreign body reactions, tumor like lumps, and silicone migration which could cause organ damage. Mainstream medicine rapidly abandoned this technique but even now you can find media stories about underground "surgeons" still performing direct silicone injections.

Polyvinyl implant sponges were used temporarily in the 1950's. The sponges often shrank and became hard. Removal of the implants was necessary due to a potential link with cancer.

Silicone Implants

Silicone implants were introduced in 1961. There have been several generations of this implant type. Silicone molecules can be linked loosely to flow like water or bonded tightly to create a "cohesive gel" as used in the current generation of silicone implants. Cohesive gel silicone implants were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for general use in most breast surgeries in 2006.

Many women considering breast augmentation in New Jersey are nervous about the safety of silicone breast implants. In 1992, the FDA requested a voluntary moratorium on the use of silicone breast implants due to concerns about patient safety. Women were concerned that diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis could be caused by silicone implants. Over 14 years of study resulted in a well-known 1999 Institute of Medicine report and the 2005 FDA advisory panel decision which ultimately declared silicone implants to be safe and effective devices.

In 2006 the FDA issued approvals to both Mentor and Allergan Corporations which allowed the general sale and use of current generation silicone gel breast implants. New Jersey and Philadelphia breast enlargement patients now have access to breast implants that have been extensively studied and clearly demonstrated to be safe for breast augmentation.

Your Choice of Breast Implants in New Jersey

This is an exciting time to consider breast augmentation. New Jersey patients have a choice between two excellent products, both with their own unique advantages. Dr. Sorokin will continue to offer his New Jersey and Philadelphia breast enlargement patients both saline and silicone implants.

Please call 856-797-0202 or request a consultation today if you are interested in learning more about breast enhancement.