Page 36 - The Connection Bridgewater Somerville Edition, September 2012

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Health and Wellness

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SILICONE IMPLANTS

By: Andrea Strauss, M.D. F.A.C.S.

You may have seen news

reports earlier this year about

the arrest of the CEO of Poly

Implant Prosthese (PIP), a com-

pany in France which manufac-

tures silicone breast implants.

To improve profit over the past

decade the implants were

made with non-medical grade

silicone. The media implied

that these implants were toxic

and potentially deadly to those

who had them by causing fatal

infections or cancer. As these

implants were never sold in the

United States little follow-up

was reported here. As a Plastic

Surgeon, I am seeing patients

who received these implants in

South America and were need-

lessly traumatized by these

unsubstantiated media reports.

PIP implants were indeed filled

with sub-medical grade (but

properly sterilized) silicone

placed in a substandard sili-

cone rubber shell. Initial

reports were correct that they

rupture more frequently than

other implants. Initial surveys

from Holland, Ireland and

Australia reported rupture

rates two to five times greater

than the industry standard.

Although most ruptures were

silent, some women experi-

enced tenderness or burning

of the breast or felt lumpiness

in the area. In June, the British

government published a defin-

itive study of the 47,000

women in the United Kingdom

with PIP implants. They found

no toxicity, no elevated risk of

infection and no increase in the

risk of breast or other cancers.

Based on this study, they rec-

ommend that the implants be

replaced only if ruptured.

Ruptures are generally diag-

nosed by a non-contrast MRI

with a dedicated breast coil.

Silicone implants manufac-

tured in the United States are

filled with a “cohesive” silicone

surrounded by a thick silicone

rubber shell. Once implanted,

the body coats the implant

with a fibrous material we call

the capsule. Even if the capsule

and the shell should break

(which is rare), the cohesive sil-

icone gel is so thick that it does

not migrate into the surround-

ing tissue. They cause no irrita-

tion, no greater risk of infec-

tion and no increase in breast

cancer or autoimmune dis-

eases. Silicone implants are

safe and are once again the

standard of care for breast

reconstruction and breast aug-

Dr. Strauss is the Chief of the

Division of Plastic Surgery at

Somerset Medical Center with

a private practice at 11 Monroe

Street in Bridgewater, New

Jersey. She is Board Certified by

the American Board of Plastic

Surgery and a Fellow of the

American College of Surgeons.

For more information on breast

implants or other procedures

call (908) 725-4600 or go to

www.plast icsurgicalassoc@

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