What types of breast implants are available?
Currently, saline and silicone implants are available. In the past, silicone implants were available only for breast reconstruction in patients with a history of breast cancer. Silicone implants are available now for cosmetic augmentation as well. In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved silicone implants for cosmetic surgery after taking them off the market in 1992 because of a controversy regarding silicone implants and a possible association with connective tissue disease. No studies to date have definitively associated silicone implants with connective tissue disease.