Safety of Silicone Breast Implant Surgery

Data on the safety and success rates of cosmetic surgery using fourth generation cohesive silicone gel implants has been relatively sparse, but a new study tracks one surgeon's long-term results for breast implant surgery for Beverly Hills and Los Angeles women.

Marina Del Rey, California (July 2008) - A statistical analysis of one surgeon's 13-year experience performing cosmetic breast implant surgery using Mentor fourth generation cohesive silicone gel breast implants for Los Angeles patients was recently presented at the joint annual meeting of the California Society of Plastic Surgeons and the Rocky Mountain Association of Plastic Surgeons.

The study, entitled "Silicone Breast Implantation: A Retrospective Review of 1012 Implants Placed By a Single Surgeon," reviews complication and revision rates among patients of W. Grant Stevens, a board-certified Los Angeles plastic surgeon who is also the founder of Marina Plastic Surgery in Marina Del Rey, California. The retrospective chart review tracks all of Dr. Stevens' Los Angeles and Beverly Hills breast implant patients who underwent silicone breast augmentation or breast reconstruction within the Mentor Adjunct Study for Silicone Gel-Filled Implants from 1992 until 2006. The study was presented by Salvatore J. Pacella, MD, MBA.

"This study reveals low complication and revision rates and also gives some insights into which factors may lead to implant revision," says Dr. Stevens. "I wanted to complete this study because since the voluntary moratorium imposed by the Food and Drug Administration in 1992, epidemiologic data involving newer generation silicone implants has been relatively sparse. These cohesive silicone gel implants are believed to be even safer than prior versions because additional cross-linking in the silicone gel material helps the implants hold their shape even when punctured, torn, or cut."

A wide variety of data points - including patient age, implant size, and implant placement method - were tracked to look for statistically significant correlations between certain factors and the need for breast implant revision. The overall complication per implant was 3.9%, with capsular contracture and abnormal scarring being the most common complications. Eight percent of patients had revision of at least one of their breast implants in Los Angeles, with the average time between initial implantation and revision being 18.5 months.

"It is important to note that over a third of the revision procedures performed had nothing to do with correction of complications and instead were performed because the patient desired a different implant size," adds Dr. Stevens. "Factoring out these patients, the revision rate to address surgical complications was actually 5.0%. The observed complication and revision rates compare very favorably to the Mentor Core Study, which had patient complication and revision rates of 30.6% and 15.4% respectively."

Of course, women who choose cohesive silicone gel breast implant surgery in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and beyond want to know if there are certain factors which may put them at greater risk for needing implant revision down the road. The study found no statistically significant correlation between the need for revision and a woman's previous surgery for capsular contracture, age, previous history of breast surgery, or history of smoking. However, placement of cohesive silicone gel implants in the subglandular position (over the pectoralis muscle) was statistically correlated with need for revision.

"This is one of the first steps in what I hope becomes a much more thorough and complete set of medical literature on the topic of cohesive silicone gel breast implant safety," adds Dr. Stevens. "Prior generations of silicone implants have become some of the most studied medical devices ever created, and I am confident that the more favorable safety profile envisioned with cohesive silicone gel implants will be confirmed through subsequent studies."

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The doctors at Marina Plastic Surgery are focused on achieving high levels of patient safety along with satisfying outcomes for all women who choose breast implants. Receive a free consultation (a savings of up to $150) when you request your consultation online and schedule during one of the convenient times our surgeons have set aside exclusively for Web visitors.