Silicone Sellers promoting gummy bear and Mentor & Implant Makers getting ric

[Guest guest]

http://www.nbc4.com/health/5377429/detail.html

(there's a video at this site ... I wasn't able to open it)

'Gummy Bear' Breast Implants Possibly Headed To U.S.

Makers Hope The Silicone Implants Will Invade U.S. Market

POSTED: 6:51 pm EST November 21, 2005

UPDATED: 7:20 am EST November 22, 2005

BETHESDA, Md. -- A new type of breast implant, already available in

other countries, may soon be making its way to the United States.

The implants are made up of a silicone gel different from the

silicone implants that have been banned in this country.

Silicone gel implants were banned 13 years ago amid concerns they

could rupture, leak and cause major health problems.

Experts now say that new implants are made differently, so they are

safer.

The new implants are known as the " gummy bear " breast implants. They

are called that because of the consistency of the gel inside the

implant.

Doctors say the gummy bear implants have been on the market in

countries like France, Germany, Spain, and Japan for the last 10

years.

e Kelley, of New Market, Md., did a lot of research before

she got breast implants two years ago. She'd heard that silicone

implants felt more natural than saline, but didn't think she'd have

a choice, since silicone implants were taken off the market years

ago.

Then e learned about a clinical trial testing a new implant

made of a high-strength cohesive silicone gel and she decided to try

them out for herself.

" My natural breast tissue is almost non-existent, so I went from

nothing to exactly what I wanted, said e.

Dr. Kress, of Frederick, Md., is a plastic surgeon taking

part in the trial of the new silicone implant. He says the implants

are much safer than the banned ones because of the molecular

structure of the silicone.

" The cohesive gel implant can be sliced in half, punctured or

damaged and nothing leaks out, " said Dr. Kress.

However, some experts are still concerned, saying long-term studies

need to be done before they are allowed back on the market.

Kelley was one of the first women in this area to get the

high-strength gel implants. She said she would recommend them to

anyone considering implants.

It is still unclear when the gummy bear implants will be submitted

to the Food and Drug Administration for approval.

Approval for another type of silicone gel breast implant is pending.

For more information on this story: Click Here for a plastic surgery

website.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=53692

Business Update

Mentor not done with Medicis

By Donna Hogan, Tribune

November 22, 2005

In a stunning free-for-all among cosmetic medical product industry

leaders, sdale-based Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. may lose a

child but gain a parent while pocketing at least $90 million in

cash.