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Breast Implant Scare in France Does Not Affect American-Manufactured Implants
By admin | February 17, 2012
Currently, the French government is deciding whether to recommend removal of implants in 30,000 women, per a recent LA Times news article. The “breast implant brouhaha in France” is believed to not affect plastic surgery in the United States, because it involves a type of silicone gel implant that has never been used here. This type of silicone, which contains an industrial-grade silicone, is manufactured by the French company Poly Implant Prothese, or PIP. According to the LA Times report, “Out of the 30,000 surgeries, more than 1,000 have led to ruptures. Fear over possible medical consequences of exposure to the silicone they contain — as well as a small number of cancers that are not proven to be linked to the implants — is fueling the concern there.”
And although there was concern revolved around theU.S.silicone implants that were first introduced in 1962, this type of implant has evolved in the last 40 years. In 1982, there was an initial fear that this substance was linked to cancer and autoimmune diseases, which led to their removal from the marketplace, in 1992. During that time, the only cases where silicone implants were used for augmentation, were of women undergoing reconstructive surgery after breast cancer treatment. Due to the natural look and feel of silicone, this type of implant is typically more conducive for reconstruction as compared to saline (women who received silicone implants for reconstructive surgery were studied for any possible negative outcomes).
Then in 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported that there was no proven evidence that silicone caused cancer and autoimmune diseases. It was said that the only legit problems found to be directly associated with silicone implants were “local in nature,” such as the capsule hardening around the implants (“capsular contracture”). Thereafter, the consistency of silicone was developed as a more cohesive substance, the two types of silicone gel-filled implants available in theUnited States – the Allergan® Natrelle and the Mentor® MemoryGel – were FDA approved in November 2006.
No matter the type of implant used for breast augmentation – saline or silicone gel – there are potential complications. However, when in the hands of a qualified plastic surgeon, such as Plano and Dallas breast augmentation specialist Dr. Wilcox, your risk of developing problems is rare. Offering both silicone gel and saline implants at his plastic surgery practice, Dr. Wilcox is available for initial consultations. Please feel free to call (972) 620-1700 to schedule an appointment.
Topics: breast augmentation, Breast Surgery, Home, plastic surgery | No Comments »