Recently there has been so much talk within the media about faulty PIP breast implants that I thought it would be a good idea to get a seasoned professional’s opinion on the topic to set the story straight.

 

Here is the chat I recently had with Dr. Benjamin Norris who specialises in breast augmentation, breast reduction, abdominoplasty, liposuction and was recently invited to the UK as a consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, one of the most prestigious hospitals in the country. So if anyone can help us learn more about breast implants, it’s him. And on a personal note i have complete faith in Dr Ben Norris as i send a lot of my clients to him and he’s featured in my latest book Troy Thompson’s Guide To The younger You.

 

 

What are some of the common types of breast implants you can get? Are some more dangerous than others?

The most common type of breast implant used in Australia has a content composed of cohesive silicone gel and an outer shell of textured silicone. The only other common implants contain saline rather than cohesive gel but still have a silicone outer shell. More recently on the market are the Polyurethane coated implants (containing cohesive silicone gel). Suitability is a matter of patient and surgeon choice. More than 90% of Australian women will however choose implants containing cohesive silicone gel. Implants approved for use by the TGA are not dangerous.

 

How can people wanting to get their breasts done make sure they don’t end up with a rupture like many of the women that had the PIP silicone breast implants?

There is no such thing as a 100% risk-free breast implant procedure. Implants are man-made devices and, just like buying a washing machine, it is possible to purchase a mechanically unsound one. However, when the implant used is of high quality (as used by reputable surgeons in Australia), the placement of the implant is performed with the highest technical skill, the implant size is appropriate to the patients tissues and frame, and high-impact forces applied directly to the chest wall are avoided (eg. a high-speed car accident with seat belt tensioning across the chest) then the risks are minimised. Rupture risk increases with the effect on an implant of capsular contracture or hardening.

 

The Sydney Morning Herald recently reported 3 times as many Australian women have had PIP breast implants rupture than first thought and the cases will rise. Do you think we will be seeing a lot more of faulty breast implant cases?

PIP implants have never been as popular in Australia as the other main brands and so the absolute numbers of cases will be relatively small. I have seen a number of patients in the last couple of months who had PIP implants used by other surgeons in the past 10 years. Clinically and on imaging none of these patients have a rupture but understandably they are concerned because of the current media attention. However a number of these patients have marked capsular contracture and so are at increased risk of eventual rupture.

 

What happens if silicone leaks into the body?

If you wear lipstick each day or have a glass of beer each day you are absorbing silicone into your system. There is no evidence that exposure to the medical-grade silicone used in reputable implants is dangerous, causes cancer, or causes connective tissue diseases. However, exposure of the breast tissue directly to silicone leaking from an implant may cause a reaction resulting in a benign lump. Breast lumps are worrying to women and their doctors and also necessitate exclusion of a breast cancer.

 

What are your top tips for women who want to get breast implants done successfully and safely?

I would refer you to my website at Silkwood Medical or the numerous articles I write for ACSM where this question has been answered by me and others.

 

What is the cost at your clinic to get breast implants done?

At my Norwest clinic (8887 0790) the cost inclusive of surgeon fee, anaesthetic fee, assistant fee, implants, operating theatre fee, day-only accommodation, and GST is approximately $9500. The cost at my Bondi Junction rooms is approximately $1500 more as a result of higher practice costs.

 

It’s always a pleasure to speak to someone who is highly respected in the cosmetic surgery business, especially from Silkwood Medical. After all, it is my favourite clinic to go for all my cosmetic needs and of course they were on the show that i was on, Ten Years Younger In Ten Days.

 

TT.

Do you feel safer now about getting breast implants?  Tweet me @troythompson1, or write/like my Facebook Page

 

Posted on 20/02/2012, 12:30 pm, by Monique, under Troy Thompson's Guide to the Younger You.

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