What are Cohesive Gel Breast Implants (“Gummy Bear Breast Implants”)?

Cohesive gel breast implants were formulated with a thicker form of silicone (viscous silicone polymer as a result of more extensive cross-linking) resulting in three ideal properties; less silicone “run-off,” in the case of rupture, no rippling, and maintenance of more precies form. If you slice into a third generation cohesive gel implant from Mentor and turn the two halves over, the silicone will not leak, drip, or run. You can see how this would be advantageous in case of rupture. It should be mentioned that “cohesiveness” is an attribute that is present in most of the older generation implants, so technically using such implants may be described as using cohesive gel implants. Recently, the latest generation of silicone breast implants was dubbed cohesive in the media. This is true, but misleading, once again, because all silicone implants are cohesive to a certain extent. What most consumers are interested in when they refer to cohesive implants are the so called “gummy bear implants,” or the latest generation of highly cross-linked silicone breast implants. So, back to the two most favorable properties of the so called “gummy bear breast implants.” They are more solid, and they do not ripple. This makes them ideal for thin skinned patients, because soft tissue cover (breast tissue or fat) is not as important in concealing the implant since the formed or cohesive gummy bear breast implant should hold its shape, and not ripple. It is also ideal in breast reconstruction for the same reason, and because large incisions are already present from the mastectomy (breast removal).