Cohesive Silicone Gel Breast Implants

Silicon

The Cohesive gel implant has all the advantages of the traditional silicone implant but eliminates the two biggest problems of rupture and leakage.

The Inamed cohesive gel implant is a silicone implant manufactured in South America. It chemically cross-links the silicone in the body of the implant resulting in an extremely stable and durable implant which is nearly impossible to rupture. If you cut a cohesive gel implant in half the two sides just sit there, nothing leaks.

Already in use in Europe since 1995, cohesive silicone gel implants are currently in clinical trials in the U.S. Australia and Canada have already approved these breast implants, which are somewhat different that traditional silicone implants. Cohesive gel implants have a strong and durable silicone shell that is composed of several layers – to prevent the “gel bleed” that can occur with standard implants. Additionally, the filler gel has a thick, cohesive consistency. If the shell were to rupture, the silicone would not spill out; in other words, the gel would retain its shape and integrity. These breast implants also have a shape “memory,” meaning that they return to their original form, which lessens the chance that the shell will fold or ripple. Furthermore, cohesive silicone gel implants are reportedly soft and natural feeling. They are best suited for women who want naturally shaped and proportionately sized breast augmentation.

One disadvantage of cohesive silicone gel implants is that the incision must be slightly larger for insertion. The insertion is usually performed through an incision under the breast or around the areola. The implants themselves are generally more expensive than saline filled breast implants, but the cost of surgery should be about the same. Currently, cohesive silicone gel breast implants are only available in the U.S. to women participating in clinical trials to determine the safety and effectiveness of the technology.

All silicone gel implants are cohesive polymers, not liquids. This means that the gel filler acts as a solid unit rather than a liquid. The gels hold together uniformly, while retaining the natural “give” that resembles actual breast tissue.

The word “cohesive” is a new term being used today to describe the nature of the fill compared to the more liquid fill that may have been used in silicone implants in the early 1970’s. This is not new science, this is not new technology – cohesive is simply a word that’s being used today to describe the “sticking together” nature of the gel. All of Mentor silicone gel-filled breast implants are all cohesive, all the time.

The inside of Mentor’s gel implants is filled with their proprietary Memory Gel™. It is our own cohesive gel formulation that makes sure the gel acts as a unit rather than a liquid – it holds together uniformly and retains the natural give that resembles actual breast tissue. It also helps prevent migration, or running, of the gel in the event of a rupture. Mentor has been using this type of gel since 1985.

There has been ongoing discussion concerning small molecules of the liquid components of silicone gel which may pass through an implant shell and into the body. Minute amounts of ‘bleed’ occur in all breast implants. It is important to note that all Mentor gel implants are low bleed. World-wide studies on the subject of bleed have not linked it to illness in patients.

Mentor’s MemoryGel™ is a unique elastic solid; it is a proprietary cohesive gel formulation that acts as a unit while maintaining its soft feel. MemoryGel™ holds together uniformly, while retaining the natural give that resembles actual breast tissue. The cohesiveness of MemoryGel™ will vary based on breast implant style. All of Mentor breast implant styles with different cohesiveness are investigational devices, and are available only through an FDA-approved study.

Breast Implant Safety

There is a lot of confusion and myths when it comes to breast implants, and breast implant safety.
Let’s start with the nature of silicone implants. They are made of two parts: the silicone shell and the silicone gel filling. The first is the outer envelope that is made from a material called silicone elastomer; this is simply a term that means silicone rubber.

You can be assured that we use gel that is cohesive, and aesthetically pleasing in all of our silicone gel-filled breast implants. The cohesiveness of MemoryGel™ will vary based on breast implant style. All of Mentor breast implant styles with different cohesiveness are investigational devices, and are available only through an FDA-approved study.

There are a number of studies that have been published that demonstrate the safety of silicone gel breast implants. The most extensive, a large study by the Institute of Medicine on the safety of silicone breast implants, showed no evidence that implants are associated with major diseases or weaken the immune system, and that, in general, silicone is safe.

In addition, a peer reviewed article published in the Annals of Plastic Surgery (2004) confirms earlier results published by the Independent Review Group, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Science Panel that concluded there is no evidence of an association between breast implants and connective tissue disease.

Content Courtesy of Mentor, Inc. and Inamed, Inc

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