There continues to be confusion surrounding the different types of silicone implants, specifically regarding what is and what is not a “cohesive” or “gummy” implant. I beleive that some of this confusion is, unfortunately, being caused by other Plastic surgeons who, either through ignorance or intentional misdirection, are misinforming patients. I have seen a number of breast augmentation consults who have been told by other surgeons in the Denver community that the silicone implants currently approved by the FDA are “gummy” implants and won’t leak if they rupture. As has been stated elsewhere in this blog, this is simply untrue. All of the implants approved for first-time augmentation patients are NOT what should be correctly known as “form-stable, cohesive” implants. If they rupture, they will leak, despite the aggressive marketing campaigns of certain companies that suggest otherwise. (I am an investigator in the Inamed 410 trial, and so I am allowed to use form-stable, cohesive implants for some types of revision patients.)
Why the misdiretion? I can only think that some surgeons simply don’t know what they’re talking about, or are being less than honest in an effort to convince patients of the safety of the current silicone implants. Either way, it’s inexcusable. Patients cannot make a fully informed decision unless they know what the real risks and rewards of various choices are. There is a new website created by several of the country’s foremost experts on breast implants which contains a wealth of information surrounding cohesive implants. I would anyone interested in the topic to peruse its content, patients and surgeons alike-
Dr. Wolfe
