That’s what one Wall Street analyst is saying after chatting with 10 doctors, which is, admittedly, a pretty small group. Gregg Gilbert of Merrill Lynch was following up on a survey he conducted after the FDA last November lifted a 14-year ban on the use of silicone gel in breast implants.

From what he gathers, saline is likely to maintain its market share for now due to safety and cost associated with silicone. Docs aren’t seeing any new increase in patient demand, although that could change if silicone makers, Mentor and Allergan, kickstart promotional campaigns.

One very interesting point: his reports notes that so far, both saline and silicone are equally profitable for docs. Why? Neither manufacturer has given them an economic incentive to boost one product over another. Keep an eye on that one.[tags]Allergan, Breast Implants, FDA, Mentor, Saline, Silicone[/tags]