History of breast augmentation surgery

Breast augmentation surgery is one of the most popular surgeries in the field of aesthetic surgery. With the recent advances in technology and science, techniques have been developed so that the surgery is performed without many complications. But this was not always the case.

According to the existing documented history, breast augmentation was first attempted in 1904. it was done using injection of paraffin and the patients were left with hard masses and draining sinus tracts, not to talk about the pain the patients had to go through. Later in 1950s and 1960s, the practitioners tried injecting liquid silicone to augment the breast. This procedure was considered success, as during the initial period after the injection, the results were very good. But the patients inevitably developed nodularity and inflammation some time later and the surgeons had to resort to mastectomy to correct the problem. This practice was later abandoned by plastic surgeons, but may still be used by some unconsiderate practitioners.

Once this was also ruled out as a technique for breast augmentation, attention turned to developing an implant to be surgically placed in the breast resulting in augmentation. The first used surgical implant was made of Ivalon sponges, in 1958. It was made from polyvinyl alcohol. There were problems associated with this technique as well. Fibrous tissue would grow into the sponges and cause them to shrink in size. Once this happens, there is no other option than taking out the sponges. Efforts were made to cover the sponges with plastic covers, one or several of them, to protect it from the growth of fibrous breast tissue, but all of them failed.

Breast augmentation again became a surgery of questionable future. The prospects seemed a little better when in 1963, Cronin and Gerow reported the use of silicone gel prosthesis. This became a standard practice for breast augmentation and the practice boomed.

Silicone gel prosthesis was the choice for breast augmentation implant till recently and the question was risen only when some organizations raised issues on the development of several diseases as secondary to the exposure of silicone. Due to this hue and cry, the government has restricted the use of these implants and it can be said that the use of silicone gel prosthesis in breast augmentation surgery has ended.

During this time, saline filled implants also became popular along side of silicone gel implants. And the practice of using saline filled implants increased once the axe fell on silicone. It is the most common implant in use in the present times.