Researchers busting out new option for implants

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http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/living/12632378.htm

Posted on Tue, Sep. 13, 2005

Researchers busting out new option for implants

By Marie Kuechel and Paige Herman

newbeauty.com

Breast enhancement is a hot topic these days, and

there’s been a lot of talk about implants and other

bust-boosting options as of late.

The “gummy bear” implant is a term you might have

heard. This new kind of implant filled with cohesive

silicone, which is currently in clinical trials, has

been nicknamed “gummy bear,” because its consistency

is similar to that of the candy – the implants can be

stretched and pulled and still maintain their shape

(though this is not recommended!).

Cohesive implants are designed so that if they leak or

rupture, the filler binds onto itself, thereby

reducing the probability that silicone will travel

beyond the breast implant capsule. Breast implant

manufacturers have developed these implants for two

key reasons. First, these implants might be an answer

to the leading and most legitimate concern about

silicone implants: detecting and removing silicone

outside the breast implant capsule. Second, these

implants feel a lot like natural breast tissue,

offering another option for women looking to enhance

breast size or shape or restore a breast that has been

removed because of cancer.

Silicone safety

The safety of silicone gel-filled implants is again in

the news, as the Food and Drug Administration has

given pre-market approval to one kind of silicone

implant as an option for women seeking to enhance

breast size and shape. More than 300 worldwide

scientific studies have been conducted to determine

whether there is a link between silicone breast

implants and certain health disorders in women. The

results of these studies have failed to prove any link

between autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid

arthritis or other diseases in women with silicone

implants. According to studies published by the

National Institutes of Health, there has been no

proven link between silicone breast implants and

breast cancer either. Studies conclude that silicone

breast implants pose only localized risks to women:

mainly capsular contracture (irregular hardened scar

tissue surrounding the implant) and the migration of

silicone and resulting nodules if the implant ruptures

or leaks.

Although saline-filled implants have not received as

much scrutiny as silicone implants, research also

finds no link between saline implants and autoimmune

diseases, cancer or other illnesses. Should these

implants leak, the saline is safely absorbed and

naturally expelled from the body. But as with any

implanted device, saline implants might also result in

capsular contracture.

A natural bust?

Perhaps you’ve heard radio commercials or seen ads

touting herbal supplements to naturally increase

breast size. Currently, the only proven method to

permanently enhance breast size is the surgical

placement of implants. No herbal cream or supplement

has been proven effective or tested for safety and

received FDA approval.

Any herbal or other supplement that is taken orally

and claims to produce medical or physical changes to

the body that has not been reviewed or approval by the

FDA should be approached with significant caution.

Without FDA approval, there is no assurance that the

safety, effectiveness and short- or long-term side

effects of these supplements have been appropriately

tested or reviewed.