Cohesive Silicone Gel "Gummy Bear" Breast Implants

Cohesive silicone gel breast implants (also known as “gummy bear” breast implants) have not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but are now being tested in clinical trials in the U.S. Cohesive silicone breast implants have been used outside the U.S. for almost 15 years, and results have so far been positive. Cohesive breast implants are referred to as gummy bear implants because they have the feel and consistency of a gummy bear.

Advantages of Gummy Bear Implants
If a gummy bear breast implant ruptures, it will not leak like traditional silicone or saline implants. They also appear to hold their shape for a much longer time than silicone gel implants or saline breast implants. Cohesive silicone gel breast implants look and feel similar to natural breast tissue.

Gummy bear implants are made of the same material as silicone gel implants, but they are much thicker, which decreases the risk of folding or “rippling,” which could cause the implant to weaken and eventually rupture. They also appear to have a low risk of capsular contracture. Even though cohesive implants do not leak, the long-term effects of silicone being in contact with the body if the implant does rupture are unknown.

Disadvantages of Gummy Bear Implants
One disadvantage of cohesive silicone gel implants is that they cannot be inserted via transumbilical breast augmentation (through the belly button). Gummy bear implants also require a longer incision during traditional breast augmentation surgery. Cohesive silicone gel breast implants can be inserted under the breasts, in the armpit, or through the areola, but inserting a gummy bear implant through the areola may be difficult if the areola is small. The most common method for inserting gummy bear breast implants is through an under the breast incision.