Headlines from Europe and other parts of the world are causing great concern among women with PIP silicone breast implants. The plastic surgeons at Marietta Plastic Surgery want to assure their patients that they have nothing to worry about as we have never used PIP silicone implants.
In March of 2010, Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) (a French breast implant manufacturer), was ordered to remove their products from the market when it was discovered that non-medical grade silicone had been substituted for medical grade silicone within their breast implants. Some 300,000 implants were sold around the world by the company, once the third-largest global seller of breast protheses, before regulators shut it down. It is believed that while the current focus of attention is in France, approximately 80 percent of PIP implants were exported to other countries including the United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela.
The scandal erupted in December 2012 when the French government advised 30,000 women to have PIP implants removed because of reports that they were more prone to rupturing than standard medical implants. The rupture rate of these implants appears to be five times higher as compared to other implants. France said it would cover the cost for explantations of PIP implants in French women and pay for the implantation of new protheses in women who received implants after breast cancer. Countries such as Britain, Brazil or Argentina where the protheses were also sold, did not share France's recommendation. It should be noted that PIP silicone implants were never FDA approved or sold in the US. An American woman would need to have been implanted outside the United States in order to have received the implants that are now the subject of concern in France.
The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) strongly supports the French recommendation that breast implant patients should check with their doctor or hospital to determine if their implants were manufactured by the French company Poly Implant Prosthesis (PIP). ISAPS also feels that even without any clinical signs of rupture, these implants should be removed or exchanged immediately to avoid further health risks.
In a recently conducted study, a connection between PIP breast implants and possible cancers was not detected; however, other medical complications may result from a ruptured implant. Women with breast implants not manufactured by PIP are not affected and should feel safe.
Again, all the plastic surgeons at Marietta Plastic Surgery want to assure their patients that they have nothing to worry about as we have never used PIP silicone implants. We use implants manufactured by Mentor or Allergan. A statement recently released by Mentor reads, “Mentor only uses medical-grade silicone in our gel-filled implants and our adherence to strict quality manufacturing requirements has resulted in silicone shells that have been tested and shown to possess excellent strength, resilience and elasticity. Mentor also conducts extensive bio-compatibility testing on all its breast implants as described in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Summary of Safety and Effectiveness Data. This is why we believe Mentor Worldwide LLC is recognized as a leading global manufacturer of high quality breast implants. Our longevity in this market has provided a wealth of experience and a global reputation for integrity. Our manufacturing expertise and safety record are unsurpassed and are a tremendous source of pride for our 1,200 employee associates worldwide.”
If you have any questions or concerns, you may schedule a consultation with one of our five plastic surgeons to review and answer any questions you may have. You may see us at one of our two locations: Marietta, GA (770-425-0118) or Woodstock, GA (678-494-2380).