FW: Breast Implants Found Full Of Germs: Source-Edmonton Journal -Nov. 1992-Canada]

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> > > The Canadian Press - Montreal Gazette Ottawa chemist Pierre Blais

and

> > colleagues at Laval University in Quebec

> > > City say they have found large colonies of germs in surgically

removed

> > > breast implants.

> > > We're finding huge amounts of infectious materials in both saline

filled

> > > silicone- gel breast implants, " Blais said in an interview.

> > > The implants were removed mostly from Canadian and American women

who

> > > were experiencing infection, respiratory and immune-system problems

and

> > > swelling and fever, Blais said.

> > > A couple of implants were so contaminated with fungi and other

germs

> > > that they had turned coal black. "

> > > Blais and his colleagues are using high- powered microscopes to

examine

> > > the germs.

> > > But " in some cases, we could easily see signs of the infected

material

> > > all without a microscope, " he said.

> > > We're talking about grams of infected materials, not tiny amounts.

It

> > > includes bacteria, exotic fungi, some of which grow like miniature

> > > mushrooms.

> > > Some of the saline implants have poorly designed valves that

> > > unfortunately can allow protein and plasma from the women to seep

into

> > > the liquid. This may allow the germs to proliferate. And when some

of

> > > these colonies get big enough, the germs could release toxins that

> > > could affect body tissue and nerves. "

> > > The greatest danger to women with contaminated implants is that the

> > > infectious material could spread through the body if the implants

leak

> > > or burst, he said.

> > > " Once infection is in the body, the immune system would be forced to

> > > react and it could trigger an inflammatory process. "

> > > So far the chemists have studied 20 sets of saline- filled implants

and

> > > three sets of silicone- gel implants from various manufacturers. All

the

> > > implants had some germs.

> > > The variety and high degree of contamination suggest that

manufacturing

> > > problems may be at fault, particularly sterilization, Blais said.

> > > But, he said has no proof that was the case.

> > > Nor is there any way of knowing how many of the several million sets

of

> > > implants inserted in women in North America, mostly in the last

seven

> > > years, have been contaminated by germs, he said.

> > > We've only recently started looking at infection in implants and so

we

> > > don't know how widespread the problem is. "

> > > Blais cautioned that women with implants shouldn't jump to

conclusions

> > > on the basics of early of early study results because little is

known

> > > about breast-implant contamination and the processes that might

cause

> > > harm. He is to present evidence from the study of contaminated

implants

> > > at a conference in Ohio, this weekend.

> > > A moratorium on silicone gel filled implants began in the United

States

> > > and Canada last January after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

> > > found safety data on several products inadequate.

> > > The implants are now available to women in the United States who

enrol

> > > in limited studies. Saline filled implants remain widely available

in

> > > the U.S. and Canada.

> > >

> >

>