The United States market is introducing another type of implant to the market for women's breast augmentation surgeries. The implant is called a cohesive gel implant. Cohesive gel implants have been around for the last twenty years elsewhere in the world. However, in the United States, it is still undergoing its clinical trial conducted by the FDA. Since the trial is not yet complete, it will be many years before an average American woman can have access to the implant for her breast augmentation surgery. The cohesive gel implant's increasing popularity is having an impact on the market for silicone and saline implants.

Saline implants have long been the favorite between silicone gel and saline implants, at least in regards to safety concerns. However, that favoritism is starting to shift towards the cohesive gel implant. Despite its unapproved status, the cohesive gel implant continues to gain in popularity each and every year.

The consistency between a cohesive gel implant and traditional silicone gel is what makes them different. The new cohesive gel implants are a solid mass of gel rather than a liquid form of gel. When the cohesive implant is ruptured (such as stabbing it with a knife), it does not leak its silicone gel filler like a traditional silicone implant does. Since the cohesive gel implant does not contain a liquid, leakage is virtually impossible.

Due it being a solid gel the cohesive implant must be produced in an anatomically correct shape. The anatomical shape makes the implant look a real breast. The drawback to this type of design keeps the breast the correct shape all the time - the cohesive implant will never lose shape inside a woman's breast pocket and will always appear in the upright position.

The forming of scar tissue around a breast implant is called capsular contracture. Silicone gel and saline implants have both been affected by incidences of capsular contracture. The new cohesive gel implant appears to be impervious to capsular contracture. It is not exactly known why but it is assumed that because of the solid mass of gel or perhaps the textured shell prevent the capsular contracture scarring from occurring.

One negative trait with cohesive gel implants is a higher potential for surgical scarring. Because the implants are a solid mass of cohesive gel, they cannot be squeezed through a small incision and it doesn't require a medical degree for a person to understand the concept that the larger the surgical incision, the greater the risk for scarring.

Are you aware that cohesive gel implants are not only called cohesive gel implants but also Gummy Bear implants? They are often referred to as gummy bear implant due to their similar texture and feel to the popular candy of the same name.

A big concern among women is implant rotation. What if the anatomically shaped breast moved inside the breast pocket? The result would be a very unpleasant appearing breast. The only solution for a rotated breast implant is invasive surgery - the implant might be replaced or simply rotated by the surgery. Either way, surgery is required to fix a rotated implant.

You can learn more about the cohesive gel implant by visiting with a plastic surgeon that is participating in the FDA's clinical trial. You should also seek a surgeon that is board certified in breast augmentation.

You should not interpret the information contained in this article as medical guidance. Before making any health-related decisions, you should speak directly with a licensed doctor in your state.