Breast Augmentation by Gummy Bear: Where are They?
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Back in 2006, the world of breast enhancement was all atwitter over semi-solid “Gummy Bear” implants, the next generation, cutting-edge, if you will, of implants.
Since then, silence.
What ever happened? Short answer: they are still being studied!
The Gummy Bear, the most solid type of silicone breast implant, got its nickname name when a plastic surgeon giving a television interview sliced into the implant to show its inside has the consistency of a piece of gummy Bear candy.
The idea was that this more solid breast implant could not leak into the patient’s body because the silicone was much more cohesive and more stable than silicone gel which can leak out if the implant envelope tears.
Only several hands full of U.S. plastic surgeons in about five states are authorized to offer the semi-solid gummy bear implants to patients.
If you want Gummy Bears, you must be:
- At least 18 years old
- Willing to enter the FDA study on Gummy Bears
- Able to take part in follow-ups
Several U.S. manufacturers offer the cohesive gel, Gummy bear implants — but only as part of the FDA studies. Three separate studies are going on.
Driving the studies is the notion that some consumers still fear silicone leaks although the National Institutes of Health has been unable to find in many studies any connection between silicone and disease.
Proponents say that gummy bears have a more natural soft feel and look and are not very likely to ripple, fold and leak or change shape. Some saline breast implants slosh if not filled completely or can make the breasts look too hard if overfilled.
Because of their size, the incision must be a little longer and is almost always in the crease at the bottom of the breast, a location known as the Inframammary fold.
So it may be a couple of years before the semi-solid, cohesive gel, Gummy Bear implants are more widely available in the United States.
Nonetheless, those implants have been used overseas in eight nations for about 15 years. In addition, one plastic surgeon/researcher blogged that the usual reoperation rate for silicone and saline breast implants is between 13 and 20 percent over three years.
However, 50 gummy bear implant test patients had zero reoperations over three years. (More about the gummy bear breast implant study.)
admin @ July 22, 2009
