FDA approves new silicone gel implant

The FDA recently gave approval for a new silicone gel implant.  

It is made by Mentor and is called the Memory Shape Implant.  This is a textured (rough surface) anatomically designed implant which is tapered at the top and designed to give the breast more fullness in the lower pole.  It is for women age 22 or older and any woman undergoing breast reconstruction.  

The approval was based on 6 years of data accumulated on 955 patients.  

This product is designed to give a “more natural shape and youthful feel” from  breast augmentation and breast reconstruction.  Memory Shape means the silicone gel within the implant is cross linked which gives it a firmer shape.  

I recently completed online training in the proper use of these devices and am now certified to use them in my Fort Myers, Florida plastic surgery practice. If you would like more information, please contact me at 239-939-5233.

NEW TECHNIQUE FOR BREAST RECONSTRUCTION

As a Fort Myers plastic surgeon, I find breast reconstruction to be very popular among women who have undergone a mastectomy.

One of the most common forms of breast reconstruction is to put a tissue expander at the site of the mastectomy – expand it over several months – then replace it with a permanent prosthesis. This process can take several months.

A company called Air Expanders has developed an expander that patients, with the help of a remote control can expand the area in a much shorter period of time – instead of months maybe only a couple of weeks.

No more needles – and the patient can decide just how big they want to be. The studies with this new device are being done at New York Presbyterian hospital. The doctor conducting the study is Dr. Jeffrey Ackerman.