The safety of breast implants has long been debated among doctors and researchers. The crux of the discussions have been centered on patient health and safety. This blog post will discuss the topic of implant safety in more detail.
The fact that implants are proven safe by the FDA is a matter of public record; the reason behind these decisions are not. The FDA consistently and repeatedly review data, even on products they have previously approved.
For certain patients, the rejection and extrusion of breast implants is a risk. This rejection and extrusion can come because of multiple factors including:
- Patients with autoimmune disorders (lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.)
- Bacterial contamination during the surgical placement or from the patient’s own body.
- Allergic reactions to the components of the materials (silicone shell)
- Severe infections leading to pus and eventual extrusion of the implant through the skin.
- Multiple occurrences of capsular contracture (hard scarring around the breast implant)
When breast implants were first introduced almost 50 years ago, no one knew that the silicone filler and outer silicone shells could leak and cause capsular contracture or hard scarring in breast tissue. This leads to the implant being painful as the scar contracts and almost always leads to misshaped hard breasts.
As women started to report complaints about their breast implants, the FDA took silicone filled breast implants off the market in 1992. After thorough complete research, the FDA has recently approved silicone implants back in the end of 1997 and about three months ago have approved the highly cohesive “gummy bear” type of breast implants. Both of these implants do not leak but still may cause capsular contracture for reasons related to the foreign body response. Both of the newer approved silicone implants should not be used in patients with autoimmune disorders.
To learn if you are a candidate for breast augmentation, schedule a private complimentary consultation with Dr. Edward Kole of The Kole Plastic Surgery Center by calling our office at 215-315-7655 .
