???? In September 2005, the FDA issued a letter deeming "approvable" silicone implants sold by Allergan (which owns Inamed) and Mentor, and the companies have been waiting ever since for final clearance.
?? Over the past 14 years, only women who agreed to participate in a clinical trial, and all the monitoring and follow-up that requires, were eligible to receive silicone implants.
?? Many women (and men) believe that silicone implants feel more natural. At the Plastic Surgery conference in September in San Francisco, implant makers displayed their wares in the conference's exhibition hall. To this reporter, the saline implant felt like a water balloon. The silicone implants displayed in the exhibit hall felt like a gel -- a bit denser than hair gel.
?? To show the artificial breast's ability to remain intact when damaged, one implant was sliced open. The gel did not run out. It was sticky to touch but stayed in place.