fuzzis
01-18-2008, 03:39 PM
Do My Breast Implants Have a Warranty? (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/fashion/17SKIN.html)
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/01/17/fashion/17skin600.1.jpg
*doctor removing silicone implant that has failed
...Almost two decades after a national hue and cry arose after fears that leaking silicone breast implants might cause systemic disease, breast augmentation has become the country’s most popular cosmetic operation. The renaissance of breast enhancement surgery is fueled in part by the Food and Drug Administration’s decision in 2006 to approve a new generation of silicone implants, ending a 14-year moratorium on their general use.
But with such high rates of reoperation, a new debate is emerging over whether breast implants constitute the kind of annuity medicine that will entail regular surgical tuneups, exposing patients to increased medical risk and out-of-pocket expenses. At a time when manufacturers have provided the F.D.A. with clinical studies that follow patients for just a few years, there is no established medical consensus on how long implants last, leaving doctors to rely on their anecdotal experiences when discussing durability with patients.
Given the lack of such data, critics said, women may not be prepared in the long term for the ordeal or financial burden of subsequent surgery.
“Your implants may last less than 10 years or more than 10 years, but when you start having problems with them, your health insurance is unlikely to cover the M.R.I. tests or the reoperations,” said Carol Ciancutti-Leyva, the director of a 2007 anti-implant documentary called “Absolutely Safe.” “It can be a very expensive proposition, especially if you are young.”
Many women are aware that implants can break down over time, requiring replacement just like car tires. Both saline implants, made out of a saltwater solution, and silicone implants, made out of gelatinous silicone, can form minute tears in their rubbery shells, causing ruptures. In the case of such defects that require product replacement, both manufacturers, Allergan Inc. and the Mentor Corporation, offer guarantees. Mentor has a 10-year guarantee to replace implants and defray some surgical fees; Allergan’s warranty includes lifetime implant replacement and up to $1,200 for fees for the first 10 years....
Yeah, think I'll stick with my girlies.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/01/17/fashion/17skin600.1.jpg
*doctor removing silicone implant that has failed
...Almost two decades after a national hue and cry arose after fears that leaking silicone breast implants might cause systemic disease, breast augmentation has become the country’s most popular cosmetic operation. The renaissance of breast enhancement surgery is fueled in part by the Food and Drug Administration’s decision in 2006 to approve a new generation of silicone implants, ending a 14-year moratorium on their general use.
But with such high rates of reoperation, a new debate is emerging over whether breast implants constitute the kind of annuity medicine that will entail regular surgical tuneups, exposing patients to increased medical risk and out-of-pocket expenses. At a time when manufacturers have provided the F.D.A. with clinical studies that follow patients for just a few years, there is no established medical consensus on how long implants last, leaving doctors to rely on their anecdotal experiences when discussing durability with patients.
Given the lack of such data, critics said, women may not be prepared in the long term for the ordeal or financial burden of subsequent surgery.
“Your implants may last less than 10 years or more than 10 years, but when you start having problems with them, your health insurance is unlikely to cover the M.R.I. tests or the reoperations,” said Carol Ciancutti-Leyva, the director of a 2007 anti-implant documentary called “Absolutely Safe.” “It can be a very expensive proposition, especially if you are young.”
Many women are aware that implants can break down over time, requiring replacement just like car tires. Both saline implants, made out of a saltwater solution, and silicone implants, made out of gelatinous silicone, can form minute tears in their rubbery shells, causing ruptures. In the case of such defects that require product replacement, both manufacturers, Allergan Inc. and the Mentor Corporation, offer guarantees. Mentor has a 10-year guarantee to replace implants and defray some surgical fees; Allergan’s warranty includes lifetime implant replacement and up to $1,200 for fees for the first 10 years....
Yeah, think I'll stick with my girlies.