Breast Cancer Fears for Women with Foreign Breast Implants

Breast cancer fears exist for every woman. They are magnified for women who received the now recalled PIP breast implants. According to a recent US newspaper that published a story written by a plastic surgeon in Spain, breast surgery is the second most executed aesthetic surgery around the world. Many women are left asking themselves if their breast implant is the Prosthesis Poly Implant (PIP), which has been withdrawn from the market. These were never approved in the United States so the patients with cause to worry, should only be those who left the United States for breast augmentation.

Breast Implants Were Defective

Breast implants  manufactured by PIP were not approved for patients.The silicone that was being used  for the implants was not approved, and according to the analysis that was conducted, the breast implants contained a gel of lower quality, a greater irritation power, and a 5% rate of breakage (normal rate ranges from 0.5% to 1%). Additionally, according to the conducted research, the silicone used contained a fuel additive, ship material (Basylone) and two others used for the manufacturing of rubber (Silopren and Rhodorsil). Jaume Serra, plastic surgeon at the Hospital Virgen del Consuelo, claims that when one of these PIP implants is ruptured, the silicone gel will leak to the nearest tissues. He explains further that some patients may remain unaffected while others could have serious reactions. As an example, the liquid can create a sort of barrier or capsule around the implant, or lymph nodes can appear around the area, both would cause swelling,  pain, and discomfort to the patient .

Breast Implant Exchange for Ruptured Breast Implants

Breast implant exchange is recommended when breast implants are ruptured. Patients who have the misfortune of having these implants are continually searching for their options for having them removed. Dr. Seify has treated patients who have required breast surgery which includes breast implant exchange for many years. The reason patients have breast implants removed vary greatly. Most medical professionals would recommend that patients with PIP implants who traveled outside of the US for their initial surgery should consider having the implants removed, and if at all possible to have breast implant exchange surgery in the US with FDA approved breast implants. Dr. Seify advises patients who are considering breast implant exchange that as a second operation there are different risks and complications that could occur. Dr. Seify is careful to explain the risk and complications to his patients as well as his recommendations to reduce the risk. For an implant exchange procedure most patients will also require additional surgical expertise. Dr. Seify will check for capsular contracture which is a hardening of scar tissue around the implant and in most cases create a revised and improved breast pocket for the new implant. It is that important that patients understand that the breast implant exchange surgery is a new surgery and therefore the amount of time required for surgery, recovery time, recommendation, and pricing are likely to be different than the original breast augmentation procedure. With the new FDA approved breast implants patients will receive a lifetime warranty on the actual implant as well as additional warranties including financial assistance if patients have a ruptured implant in the future.