Because silicone-implant ruptures are usually "silent," the FDA recommends that women have an MRI every two years, beginning three years after surgery, to detect any ruptures, McCarthy pointed out.
So women need to consider that need for repeat MRIs, which may not be covered by insurance, in deciding on an implant type.
In addition, the long-term safety of silicone implants is still under scrutiny. In approving the two silicone implants currently on the market, the FDA required that the device makers—Allergan and Mentor—conduct a 10-year post-approval study of about 40,000 silicone-implant recipients to track complication rates and patients' compliance with the MRI recommendations.
McCarthy said that further innovation in breast implants is still needed. One device now under study is a so-called "gummy bear" implant, a so-called cohesive silicone-gel implant designed to be more resistant to leaks should the shell rupture.
None of the researchers on the current study report any financial conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: http://link.reuters.com/zeg44q Cancer, online November 8, 2010.
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