Fw: Response to: Silicone implants: Poised for a comeback? and Dr. Brueck

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----- Original Message ----- From: ilena rose

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Sent: Monday, February 17, 2003 6:10 PM

Subject: Response to: Silicone implants: Poised for a comeback? and Dr. Brueck

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Very interesting article on the "new and improved" silicone breast implant.

I head a support group with thousands of women ill and injured from the previous "new and improved" breast implants .

I find Dr. Brueck's premature conclusions extremely revealing and disturbing.

"I knew they were safe," he claims.

This bias is totally inappropriate for a "scientific" clinical study, such as the one in which he is participating, and whose results are supposed to be as yet, unknown.

Over 200,000 women have already reported serious complications from their implants to the FDA.

It is now known that the majority will have a rupture at least once in a lifetime.

Ruptured implants and the very painful fibromyalgia have now been linked.

Recent studies from the National Cancer Institute showed an increased risk of death from brain cancer, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases, as well as high suicide rates for breast implant patients.

"Brueck believes the studies, by the FDA and private medical device companies prove new silicone implants are safe."

This leap in logic may well be financially very beneficial to Plastic Surgeons and silicone makers, but it it is not based on sound science.

Breast implants of all types obscure clean readings of mammography, and may break during the process.

Many insurers are no longer accepting women with breast implants as policy holders.

One manufacturer, Mentor Corp. participated in previous saline implant studies. They had reported an abysmal 5% patient follow-up after 5 years. Yet despite this corporate behavior, significant and life changing decisions that will affect millions of women are being made based on their information, and that of the "unbiased" plastic surgeons participating.

Women deserve to know that the risks of breast implants are real and the complicatoins serious.

Ilena Rosenthal

Director, Humantics Foundtion

www.BreastImplantAwareness.org

http://nbc-2.com/News/stories/021703-siliconeimplants.shtml

Silicone implants: Poised for a comeback?

by Stilwell LEE COUNTY, February 17, 2003 - Silicone breast implants were banned from general use more than 10 years ago. Now, silicone implants are being tested in a new round of clinical trials to test their safety. Are silicone implants making a comeback? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Email this story * Send us your comments on this story comments@... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“God only knows how much silicone's in my body, no one else knows,” said Bamsey.

Bamsey had her breast implants removed in 1991 after learning the silicone could be making her sick.

“It's robbed me of my family. I can't go dancing, places with my daughter, run with grandkids,” said Bamsey.

Thousands of women, just like Bamsey, had their silicone implants taken out. And with little information to prove their safety at that time, the FDA pulled them from the market.

“The manufacturers of silicone breast implants have failed to provide evidence they are marketing a safe product,” said Kessler, former FDA Commissioner.

General use of silicone was stopped in 1992. Now, silicone implants can only be used in special cases, like reconstructive surgery, when a breast is removed due to cancer.

Since that time, silicone implants have been used on a limited basis, but now every time one of these is used, the woman is required to be part of a study, to find out how safe they really are.

“I knew they were safe. I’ve been doing them for years, but the government had to show the public they were stepping in to regulate medical devices,” said Dr. Brueck.

Dr. Brueck is one of only a few doctors in the country testing silicone implants for general use. it's part of a new FDA approved study.

“This is the first time we can offer silicone implants for primary first time breast augmentation,” said Brueck.

Brueck believes the studies, by the FDA and private medical device companies prove new silicone implants are safe.

“Even if the implant ruptures, the gel pretty much stays in place,” said Brueck.

And there are benefits to silicone, it is more similar to a woman’s natural breast.

But not every doctor is convinced.

“Silicone implants are safe, my feeling is, saline implants are just a little bit safer,” said Dr. Joe Mazza.

Mazza uses silicone about 5 percent of the time, for reconstructive surgery, as the FDA requires. And while he believes most of the early 90's news about the implants was media hype, he still opts for saline.

“With silicone because of calcification because they do break. The gel bleeds into breast tissue, I think saline is better,” said Mazza.

Now, it remains to be seen if the new, improved silicone implant will be accepted this time around or if fears from 10 years ago will keep patients away.

The implants will be tested for at least another 2 years before they would be available on the market.

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