Breast Implant News and Research

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Allergan receives FDA approval for Natrelle 410 breast implant

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the Natrelle 410 Highly Cohesive Anatomically Shaped Silicone-Gel Filled Breast Implant to increase breast size (augmentation) in women at least 22 years old and to rebuild breast tissue (reconstruction) in women of any age. Natrelle 410 implants are manufactured by Allergan, Inc.

20 Feb 2013

Safety of breast implants

Following the recent scandal, described in May 2012 by the BBC as the “PIP breast implant scandal”, (1) many women may have been put off having breast implants. But how safe exactly is breast enlargement? And how do the different methods compare?

29 May 2012

Chin implants growing in popularity

“Chin augmentation has increased approximately 70% in the last year, that's an astonishing number,” says Dr. Darrick Antell, A spokesperson for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. “We're much more aware of how we look and we're much more critical of ourselves,” he said. He says a strong chin not only improves a patient's self esteem, it may also boost their bottom line. Experts say that may be part of the reason chin implants saw the biggest surge of any type of cosmetic procedure in the last year.

17 Apr 2012

Rise in PIP breast implant ruptures sparks fresh fears

According to the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery all brands of breast implants carry a risk of rupture. Spokesman Dr Daniel Fleming said a rupture rate of 13.6 per cent over eight years is a normal rate for major brand Mentor.

5 Apr 2012

Sientra closes $65M Series C financing

Sientra, a privately-held medical device company focused on the aesthetic and plastic surgery markets, announced today that it closed on its $65 million Series C financing led by Abingworth and with participation by Clarus Ventures, OrbiMed Advisors and all other insiders.

29 Mar 2012

Sientra receives FDA approval for new silicone gel-filled breast implant

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a silicone gel-filled breast implant manufactured by Sientra Inc. to increase breast size (augmentation) in women at least 22 years old and to rebuild breast tissue (reconstruction) in women of any age.

27 Mar 2012

Breast implant materials may deter cancer cells from dwelling and thriving

One in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer. Of those, many will undergo surgery to remove the tumor and will require some kind of breast reconstruction afterward, often involving implants. Cancer is an elusive target, though, and malignant cells return for as many as one-fifth of women originally diagnosed, according to the American Cancer Society.

26 Mar 2012

47,000 UK women have faulty PIP breast implants

According to Britain's health ministry an additional 7,000 women were fitted with potentially faulty French-made breast implants, raising the total in the U.K.to about 47,000.

18 Mar 2012

‘All-metal’ hips may fail more often study finds as experts call for a ban

Metal-on-metal hips were developed to be more durable than traditional implants, which combine a ceramic or metal ball with a plastic socket. But recent experience suggests they may actually do worse, prompting the recall of one device made by Johnson & Johnson that critics argue should never have been allowed on the market.

14 Mar 2012

Sientra’s breast implant approved by the U.S. FDA

The implant, manufactured by Santa Barbara-based Sientra, can be used for breast tissue reconstruction for women of any age and for breast augmentation in women 22 or older. The approval resulted from three years of clinical studies on almost 1,800 patients. Tightening of the area around the implant, re-operation, implant removal, uneven appearance and infection were some of the complications experienced during the study. Sientra is required to continue studies on the implant's long-term safety, effectiveness and risks of rare diseases under the approval.

12 Mar 2012

PIP breast implant removal and consultation costing the NHS large sums

After the Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) breast implant scare nearly 3,000 women have been seen by NHS specialists, of which over 1,000 have had scans and 67 have opted to have the implants removed, according to Department of Health statistics.

20 Feb 2012

Plastic surgery on the rise among Americans

13.8 million plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2011, a 5% increase on the year before. The authors added that by the end of 2011, the number of total plastic surgeries had grown for 24 consecutive months. These figures include both minimally-invasive and surgical procedures. The ASPS informs that 5.5 additional reconstructive procedures were carried out in 2011, also a 5% increase on the previous year.

13 Feb 2012

Wyatt Technology Instruments employed to develop alternative materials to silicone breast implants

Wyatt Technology Corporation today announced that Professor Judit E. Puskas at the University of Akron has developed a system using its instrumentation that will also help to solve a prevalent and particularly controversial material science challenge. The researchers are employing the multi detector system to develop alternative materials to silicone breast implants. This development will be welcomed by many as faulty Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) implants are causing global concern about implant safety, and as a result, alternative materials are sought.

1 Feb 2012

New York hospital offers at-home method for tissue expansion for breast reconstruction surgery

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center is the first hospital in the New York metro area to offer breast cancer survivors an at-home method for tissue expansion in preparation for breast reconstruction surgery. Patients use a remote control to gradually create a space within their chest wall for a breast implant.

1 Feb 2012

Breast cancer survivors use at-home method to prep their breasts for reconstruction

31 Jan 2012

PIP breast implant mastermind arrested

The founder of the company - Poly Implant Prothese or PIP was arrested Thursday in an early-morning police raid on his luxury home in the south of France. The PIP implants have been the center of controversy and fear after reports of rupture of the breast implants due to use of second grade materials in their manufacture.

29 Jan 2012

Health Secretary stands firm on the issue of removal of faulty breast implants

Britain’s Health Secretary Andrew Lansley intends to take cosmetic industry companies that are refusing free operations to women wanting substandard breast implants removed to court. Lansley is ready to take action after the declaration of the Harley Medical Group that it will not pay for removal of the PIP implants that have triggered great anxiety in women in the UK and in France. Transform and the Hospital Group have also said that women will have to pay.

12 Jan 2012

More on the PIP breast implant scare

Model Jasmine Lennard underwent an emergency operation to replace her breast implants after discovering they contained banned silicone. The 26-year-old admits that she became ‘hysterical’ after discovering her implants came from French firm PIP, which is at the centre of a global health scare for using industrial-grade materials deemed unfit for medical use. And she believes last week’s procedure could have ‘saved my life’.

9 Jan 2012

HCA issues commitment to offer full support to PIP breast implant patients

Last Friday the MHRA advised that they found no evidence to support routine removal of PIP breast implants and they recommended that any patients who were concerned about their implant should seek clinical advice from their consultant surgeon.

8 Jan 2012