Q. What is breast augmentation? A. Breast augmentation, also known as breast enlargement, is a cosmetic surgery procedure that increases the size of a woman's breasts. A saline filled implant with a silicone shell is placed under the breast, which increases the breast size. In the past, silicone gel-filled implants were used for breast augmentation, but the FDA removed this type of implant in 1992 to perform further studies on the safety. With continual research being performed to further improve breast augmentation, the introduction of different types of implant material has the possibility of becoming available in the future.