I have had the unique opportunity of participating in the evolution of breast implants. I assisted in the placement of some of the early silicone gel mammary prostheses during my residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Institute for Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at New York University Medical Center, (New York, NY). The implants were large and heavy; the Silastic® envelope was thick, and it had a Dacron® backing (Figure 1). These early implants generally were placed through an inframammary incision into a subglandular pocket. My recollection is that the incidence of capsular contracture was high. In an attempt to prevent contracture, patients' breasts were tightly wrapped to immobilize them, and the patients were not allowed to lift their arms above their heads for 10 days after surgery. The Dacron® patch firmly adhered to the pectoralis fascia, which made its subsequent removal difficult. Later, the basic design underwent several modifications in an attempt to reduce the incidence of capsular contracture, including removal of the Dacron® backing. Gaspar W. Anastasi, MD ASAPS President, 1988-1989 Figure 1 Examples of early silicone gel breast implants. Note the I Dacron® I In the early 1970s, one of my fellow interns, Henry Jenny, MD, went on to assist in designing the early inflatable saline mammary prosthesis. I was enthusiastic about the Jenny implant because it was easy …