Hydrogel breast implants are no longer available. They were banned due to reports of adverse effects such as infection, deformation, and capsular contracture.
Hydrogel implants consisted of a silicone elastomer shell, like all other breast implants, and a hydrogel filler. Hydrogels are polymeric materials that have the ability to swell in water without dissolving and retain water within their structures.
Two companies produced hydrogel breast implants. One was Clover Leaf Products LTD, which manufactured the implants in France and supplied them to the United Kingdom. The other company, Somatech Medical Ltd., based in Germany, also supplied their NovaGold hydrogel implants to the United Kingdom.
