Types of Augmentation String

Augmentation string is made of polypropylene or PPP and was introduced by Dr. Gerald W. Johnson in the late 1990s for use in string breast implants. PPP is a form of plastic used in a variety of ways, including medical slings and sutures. The "string" material was introduced as an alternative to the most widely used materials, which are saline or silicone, according to Your Plastic Surgery Guide. PPP was later banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Association as unsafe.

Material Benefits

• A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Resource notes that Johnson recommended the augmentation string material because is not only produced a more natural augmentation result, but didn't appear to encapsulate over time like some silicone implants. Encapsulation occurs when scar tissue forms around the implant, constricting it and making it too firm.

Material Problems

• When fluids are applied to PPP or Polypropylene, the material absorbs it and expands.

  Polypropylene is a synthetic material that expands as it continues to absorb fluids, indicates A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Resource. When the material was used for augmentation, it continued to expand in the client after the initial procedure, indicates plastic surgeon Dr. Philip Miller. The absorption and expansion quality of the material often resulted in an abnormal augmentation size.

Fun Facts

• Augmentation string is not approved for use in the US and has been banned by the FDA, whose 2-step approval procedure on products is design to determine both a market need as well as safety and efficacy. Currently Your Plastic Surgery Guide indicates the FDA is investigating another controversial implant called gummy bear implants. Their silicone gel is not supposed to leak if the shell of the implant ruptures.