Cohesive. Form Stable. Gummy-bear. MemoryGel. What do those terms mean? Patients are confused. Even plastic surgeons are scratching their head. This article will attempt to help you understand these terms and to determine what kind of an implant is right for you.

Different people use these terms in different ways. Some surgeons may refer to a certain implant as gummy bear or cohesive, while others do not. The critical feature is whether the filler of an implant can actually maintain a shape or whether it is amorphous, incapable of holding a shape itself. For that reason, I will use the term form stable and non form stable to describe implants.

No matter what you, your doctor, or an implant manufacturer calls them, you will understand by the end of this article why the important issue is whether an implant is form stable or is not form stable.