Breast Inplants
Your Breast Inplants Resource & Answers Search Engine!

Patients may be asking about FDA’s recent decision to approve the marketing of certain silicone gel-filled breast implants. They may want to know more about the safety of these devices, and they may need guidance in deciding whether or not to have them. The approved implants are made by two companies, Allergan and Mentor. They’re approved for breast reconstruction in women of all ages, and for breast augmentation in women 22 and older. Although certain saline-filled breast implants have been available for a number of years, silicone gel-filled implants have not been available for widespread use for a long time. In fact, FDA turned down several applications to market silicone gel filled implants in the past. However, now there is enough information about benefits and risks so that a woman can make an informed decision about whether to have the implants and what to expect if she gets them. To ensure that women get the information they need, physicians are expected to give women who are thinking about having the implants a patient brochure. The brochure lays out in some detail the benefits and complications that can occur — complications like hardening of the tissue around the implant, breast pain, and changes in nipple sensation. One of the most important things the brochure stresses is that these implants are not lifetime devices. A woman who receives the implants will probably need additional breast surgery at least once. The brochure also informs women that the implant …