Recall of French Breast Implants
January 18th, 2012
I recently received a guide from The American Society Aesthetic of Plastic Surgery for member plastic surgeons, addressing their concern for patients presenting with PIP Implants. The French manufacturer Poly Implant Prostheses (PIP) and the Dutch company Rofil Medical used inferior, industrial grade, silicone in the breast implants they produced and sold.
What is wrong with the PIP/ROFIL implants? These products have a higher rupture rate than other available implants and these implants were never FDA approved here. Countries where these implants were available include England, France, Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, Germany or the Czech Republic. However, medical tourism is popular and it is possible that some Americans may also have these types of implants.
I agree with the guidelines of The American Aesthetic Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and my colleagues at The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ISAPS) and who support the recommendation of the French authorities to remove the implants as a precaution, even if no symptoms or hints of rupture or leakage are present. Consult your physician if you have questions regarding what type of implants you have.
Over-weight Patients and Cosmetic Surgery
December 12th, 2011
Can I have cosmetic surgery if I’m over-weight?
I advise my patients to be within a few pounds of their ideal weight before having elective cosmetic surgery. According to new research conducted by scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine, over-weight patients are nearly 12 times more likely to suffer a complication following elective plastic surgery than their normal-weight counterparts.
Americans are getting fat. 34% of adults in the United States are now estimated to be obese (those with a body mass index above 30), up from just 15 percent a decade ago. Meanwhile, the number of people nationwide having elective plastic surgery has also increased in recent years – with annual plastic surgery volume up considerably during the last decade. Physicians ought to keep a watchful eye on the scale when it comes to evaluating patients for elective surgery.
Next time: Patient Selection for Cosmetic Surgery
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