19 novembre, 2006 13:24
Government Lifts 14-year Ban on Silicone Breast Implants
By Armando Duke
(AXcess News) Houston, TX - After banning silicone breast implants 14-years ago, the government on Friday lifted its ban, paving the way for thousands of women to increase their bust size after safety concerns were shown to be minimal.
The FDA approved silicone breast implants manufactured by Mentor Corp. and Allergan Inc., both California-based companies.
Silicone breast implants were first introduced to women in 1962, before the FDA required manufacturers to prove their products were safe for use.
Since 1992, only women who participated in research studies have been able to get silicone breast implants where reconstruction surgery was needed.
After many women experienced ruptured silicone breast implants the FDA became concerned that it could cause cancer and lupus in women and banned their use except in research studies.
But now that the FDA excepts research showing silicone breast implants do not cause cancer or lupus, the issue of leakage is still a concern for they're not meant to last a life time and eventually need to be removed or replaced.
An Institute of Medicine report published in 2000 found rupture rates of silicone breast implants to be as high as 77 percent. Many women who suffered leaks complained of years of pain, swelling and numbness. Silicone fluids leaked from transplants are known to travel to other parts of the body and do not dissolve over time, forming lumps. They're also known to cause painful infections in women's breasts and scar tissue.
The saline-filled alternatives to silicone do not feel as natural, proponents say, even though their leakage does not cause problems.
But regardless of the risk, many women have opt for augmenting their breast size through implants. Last year, 291,000 women had their breasts surgically enlarged in the United States, a 37 percent increase since 2000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. At the same time, implants for reconstructive surgery shrank 29 percent, to 58,000 procedures, and last year alone, 39,000 women had their implants removed.
For the two companies, its going to be a windfall of revenue many investors believed, after pushing the shares of Mentor up 3.19 percent, or $1.47, to close at $47.58, while shares of Allergan rose 1.6 percent, or $1.76, to close at $112.50.
