Study Shows Evidence of Systemic Inflammatory Reaction to Silicone Breast Implants

PHILADELPHIA, PA, June 10, 2011 (Press-News.org) When the FDA lifted its10 year moratorium on the use of silicone breast implants for cosmetic breast augmentation in November 2006, it stated that the preponderance of evidence suggested there was no connection between silicone breast implants and breast cancer or autoimmune disorders, charges that had led to the moratorium. However, it also suggested that breast implant manufacturers and surgeons should continue to study silicone breast implants for the next ten years to build up evidence about those risks.

Now, five years later, it seems one study suggests a mechanism for a possible connection between silicone breast implants and systemic disorders. The study, published in the March issue of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, compared the immune response of breast augmentation patients with those of liposuction patients to determine whether the two groups of patients experienced different immune responses. The study showed that a protein associated with inflammatory reactions increased significantly in women receiving breast implants, but not in those receiving liposuction.

Women with silicone breast implants saw their c-reactive protein levels jump from an average 1.3 mg/L before surgery to 4.8 at 2 months after surgery and 4.3 at 6 months after surgery. By comparison, women receiving liposuction saw a decline in c-reactive protein levels by 6 months from an average of 3.5 before surgery, which remained constant at two months post-surgery, but dropped to 2.2 at 6 months after surgery.

According to Philadelphia plastic surgeon Dr. David Bottger, "The authors suggest that this finding could signal ongoing immunogenicity of silicone. While that is certainly a possibility, c-reactive proteins are known to interact with a number of processes in the body, so it's hard to say what this signals about silicone breast implants. What we do know is that nothing in our 50-year experience with silicone breast implants actually indicates there is a causal relationship between them and autoimmune disorders or breast cancer."

Women who are considering silicone breast implants or who already have silicone breast implants are encouraged to talk to their surgeon about the science behind the safety of silicone breast implants.

About Dr. Bottger

Dr. David Bottger is a board certified plastic surgeon practicing in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. He has a dual certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery. Dr. Bottger provides patients with a full array of surgical and non-surgical options to aesthetically enhance the face, body, and breast regions.

Website: http://www.drbottger.com