Silicone Breast Implants Ok’d Again
Last month a federal advisory panel has recommended the creation of a nationwide database to follow women who have had silicone-gel breast implants for at least 10 years after they had the surgery. Currently the two companies that manufacture silicone implants in the US, Allergan and Mentor, are already required to follow women who’ve had their implants for FDA-mandated studies. While the FDA would like to track more outcomes in women who have received silicone breast implants, it doesn’t expect more extensive longer-term data to reveal that the devices are unsafe.
According to William Maisel, MD, chief scientist and deputy director for the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, “Based on the totality of information on silicone gel breast implants, the FDA continues to believe that the currently approved devices are safe and effective for their intended use.†Data from the FDA report that most of the millions of women worldwide who have breast implants are satisfied with them. I find that patients are generally pleased with breast implant surgery. I always give my patients a choice between saline and silicone gel filled implants.
