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U.S. Banning Breast Implants?Posted Friday, September 7, 2007 to PROCEDURES > Breast Posted by mmoore How hard should it be to get a breast augmentation on Long Island, or in Kansas City, or even Los Angeles for that matter? If a U.S. Congresswoman has her way, it's about to become nearly impossible. In late May, Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., reintroduced the FDA Scientific Fairness for Women Act, a bill that primarily would outlaw all breast implants until they have been proved by the manufacturer to be safe for the life of the device. Here's a link that gives a little more info: http://www.cosmeticsurgerytimes.com/cosmeticsurgerytimes/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=440697 As a plastic surgery copywriter, I've done a lot of research on breast implants, liposuction, BOTOX Cosmetic, you name it. And I think anyone, male or female, considering any plastic surgery, should be extremely skeptical and ask tons of questions. It's your body after all, and you need to be happy and safe. I'll also say that from what I've seen, breast implants are probably the most studied medical device on the planet. Does that itself make them safe? Of course not. Does that make them a good choice for any woman out there? Again, no. But from what I've seen the FDA approval of silicone gel implants was based on careful scientific study, and that should count for something. In no way am I trying to minimize the often terrible complications that some recipients of prior silicone implants experienced. The voluntary ban on silicone implants implemented in 1992 was the right thing to do. At the same time, there has been over a decade of study and a decade of technological improvements, so the fact that silicone gel implants are again approved for general use in the United States doesn't mean we're going to be headed down the same road. No one--doctors, device manufacturers, health policy leaders, and most importanly patients--wants to repeat the mistakes of the past. That's why so much effort has gone into getting the reintroduction of silicone in the US market right. It's worth noting that silicone implants have been continuously available in most of the rest of the world since their introduction almost 5 decades ago. So I come back to my question: a woman wants to get a Long Island breast augmentation--should she be allowed to do it? I think when serious people who really understand and follow the scientific research look at the issue, their answer's going to be "yes." For one, most if not all of our plastic surgery clients are staking their reputations on the reliability and safety of the latest generation of silicone gel implants. Others, like Dr. James Romanelli in New York, go further and are participating in clinical trials of a silicone implant that will probably be found to have even greater safety and durability advantages, a type often referred to as a "gummy bear" implant. I applaud Rep. DeLauro's concern for women's health, and I could not agree with her more that in many cases, the health of women (and children) in the United States has taken a backseat to misguided priorities like war and tax breaks for the ultrawealthy. No doubt, women's health care is in a shameful state in this country. Outlawing breast implants when women's rates of heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes, stroke, and other deadly conditions are on the rise seems to really miss the point to me. I would favor a comprehensive look at women's health issues with an eye on reducing and preventing the most deadly conditions, like heart disease and diabetes, that are without doubt a great risk to all women in America. For now, as someone who's read plenty of the research, I think the government should have much bigger priorities than outlawing breast augmentations. Women are smart and from what I've seen they're making the decision about breast enlargement with eyes wide open. 0 Comments | Share | Save to Favorites Report Abuse| Rate It: Add Comment |