The Truth about Breast Implants

For the past 30 years, more than a million American women have received silicone gel-filled breast implants. Some physicians have placed these devices in their patients without providing adequate information on the risks posed by the procedure, and without demanding information from manufacturers. Of women receiving implants, 40 percent have experienced serious complications: silicone leakage into the body; capsular contacture (development of hardened scar tissues around the implant); immune system disorders believed to be linked to the implants. Guthrie, a plastic surgeon specializing in breast surgery, explains that he has opposed the use of silicone implants since the late 1970s, long before the current controversy. Under the current FDA rule, women who want implants after reconstructive surgery may get them if they are willing to be part of a long-term study to check for health problems. Those who seek implants to enlarge their breasts for cosmetic reasons are much more restricted; they may not do so unless they are chosen to join in a similar study examining the long-term effects of the silicone devices. Guthrie believes that saline implants offer a safe alternative. Available for 20 years, they have only been used in 10%-15% of breast reconstruction or augmentation procedures. The author's advocacy of saline implants is unwavering, but still one questions the wisdom of putting any foreign objects in the body, especially in cases when it is for vanity and vanity alone. (Feb.)