San Francisco, CA November 20, 2006 -- Following the United States Food and Drug Administration's approval on Friday November 17th 2006 of silicone breast implants for use in cosmetic breast augmentation surgery, San Francisco Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Scott W. Mosser, will begin immediately offering the newly approved implants as an option for all his patients seeking this type of cosmetic surgery. This is good news for Bay Area women who may be considering breast augmentation. They now can consider silicone implants in addition to the commonly used saline filled implants currently being used for cosmetic surgery. Dr. Mosser, who specializes in breast surgery, has used the improved silicone implants for some time for reconstructive breast surgery following mastectomy and for corrective surgery for medical reasons. The FDA's 14-year ban on silicone implants did not extend to their use in breast augmentation surgery for medical reasons. He now anticipates a greatly increased demand for cosmetic reasons. In announcing the approval, the FDA stated, "The extensive body of scientific evidence provides reasonable assurance of the benefits and risks of these devices. This information is available in the product labeling and will enable women and their physicians to make informed decisions." This newer form of silicone implants with a thicker, cohesive gel has been widely used in the US for some time for breast surgery designated as reconstructive"; that is, anything from breast lifts combined with implants to post-cancer restoration. The new silicone implant gel technology is cohesive, which means that it defies diffusion when rupture occurs, behaving more like a viscous gel than a liquid. Would a leak to happen, this material is designed to be less likely to seep into local tissues and cause inflammation. The FDA approved the implants for use in cosmetic surgery on women over the age of 22 after carefully reviewing safety data over the past decade. The FDA has also stipulated that the manufacturers must continue follow up safety studies. As a condition of the implants' approval, each company agreed to conduct a study tracking 40,000 women for ten years after receiving silicone implants and must also continue lab studies on implant failures. This development, coupled with recent studies disproving any link between silicone implants and systemic disease, have now lessened the fear and greatly broadened the options available to any woman seeking cosmetic breast augmentation. Now that women have the added option of using silicone, each qualified breast augmentation candidate has the additional responsibility of understanding the pros and cons of silicon vs. saline, cautions Dr. Mosser. The decision of whether to use saline or silicone implants is still one which should be made by a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon and should be tailored specifically to the individual patient. Every patient is unique and the choice of type of implant and surgical procedure used is a very personal and carefully weighed decision." In addition to understanding implant options, one of the most important questions to ask when you are researching breast augmentation surgeons, in order to make a responsible decision, is the surgeon's qualification. Any licensed physician can legally advertise him/herself as a plastic or cosmetic surgeon. Therefore, choosing a board certified plastic surgeon for a breast augmentation can help prevent complications and reduce the risks already involved. Patients who choose a board certified plastic surgeon can be assured that quality training and prestigious credentials are available. Dr. Mosser also advises breast augmentation candidates to ask the following questions while researching plastic surgeons in order to determine if he or she is able to perform the procedure at a high level of safety, with desirable results: -How many breast augmentations have you performed? -Are the goals I wish to achieve attainable? -What are the risks involved? -How long is the recovery period before I can expect to see the final results? -What happens if I am dissatisfied with the results?
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