Breast implant. Coloured side view X-ray of a silicone implant (solid pink) inside a woman's right breast. Glandular tissue of the breast (purple) is seen surrounding the implant. Breast implants contain silicone gel and are implanted for cosmetic purposes, or for reconstruction following breast cancer surgery. The possible side-effects of breast implantation are scarring and the deposition of calcium in the tissue surrounding the implant (calcification), which can make removal difficult.