As an operating-room nurse, Trudi Stanley often saw firsthand the complications that can result from silicone breast implants. Usually, it was a localized problem such as scar tissue tightening and hardening around the implant.

She knew, of course, about the moratorium on silicone breast implants imposed in 1992 by the Food and Drug Administration, greatly restricting their use, and about the flood of lawsuits contending that the implants can lead to lupus and other autoimmune diseases.

While thousands of women are suing implant manufacturers and having their silicone implants removed, Stanley reflects another trend: The number of women having their breasts augmented is rising again, say physicians and industry experts.