Silicone Breast Implants Are Unsafe

Despite FDA's recent approval of silicone breast implants, there still are "considerable risks that women must consider before walking into the operating room," Edward Melmed, a Dallas-based plastic surgeon, and Judy Norsigian, executive director of Our Bodies Ourselves, write in a Boston Globe opinion piece (Melmed/Norsigian, Boston Globe, 2/2). FDA in November 2006 approved the use of silicone breast implants manufactured by Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Mentor and Irvine, Calif.-based Allergan for breast reconstruction and cosmetic breast augmentation, but the agency limited cosmetic use to women ages 22 and older. Most breast implants, which often are given to women who have undergone a mastectomy to treat breast cancer, contain saline solution. Silicone breast implants were banned in 1992 because of safety concerns.

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