According to a March 2006 article in Plastic Surgery Products, no other medical device or material has been studied more extensively than the silicone gel breast implant. No link between gel implants and breast cancer, connective tissue disease or joint problems has been found. In addition, there is no conclusive evidence that silicone causes systemic disease such as lupus or breast cancer.

Since 1992, silicone gel-filled implants have been available only to breast reconstruction patients and patients undergoing breast revision surgery. On November 17, 2006, the FDA approved silicone breast implants and the return of these devices to the U.S. market..

According to the article, the notable difference is that silcone gel implants feel more natural, and more like a human breast, than a saline implant. The chief disadvantage of gel implants is that if the implant ruptures, the gel leaks into the surrounding pocket. Although it is usually contained within the scar capsule that forms naturally around the implant, it could migrate out of the capsule into the breast tissue and cause small clumps of scar tissue, or granulomas, to form. The gel is not known to migrate to other parts of the body.

Unlike the saline implant, if a gel implant was to rupture, the rupture may be silent and no change in the breast's appearance is noticeable.  For this reason, it is important and strongly recommended that women with gel implants receive long-term follow-up care. They are encouraged to undergo diagnostic testing such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) every 5 to 10 years to assess the integrity of the gel implant.

The choice of implant needs to be thoroughly discussed with your plastic surgeon.