Studies & Research
- FDA Home page - links to FDA studies
- Institute of Medicine Finds NO Link Between Silicone Breast Implants and Disease:
There are two versions of the IOM report. The first is a 17 page summary report called Information for Women About the Safety of Silicone Breast Implants. This makes a good starting point, since it was designed for a non-technical audience. You can find it at http://www.nap.edu/books/0309065933/html/
If, after reading the 17 page version, you want more in the way of technical details, then you should read the full report. The 455 page report is an excellent, albeit technical, read concerning the history of breast implants and the studies concerning their safety. The study did not discount the risks of breast implants that are proven, such as capsular contracture, infection, etc. but found no evidence to connect implants to breast cancer and autoimmune type diseases which were the subject of litigation against implant manufacturers. This is must see. Click here to go to http://www.nap.edu/books/0309065321/html/.
The Independent Review Group in the U.K. finds no link between Silicone Breast Implants and Disease:
Some of the findings included:
Silicone gel breast implants are not associated with any greater health risk than other surgical implants; although there are a number of local complications, the occurrence of ill-health in women with silicone gel breast implants is not greater than those in the general population. Specifically, there is no evidence of an association with an abnormal immune response or typical or atypical connective tissue diseases or syndromes; children of implanted women are not at increased risk of connective tissue disease; the information provided to women undergoing breast implantation is often inadequate. http://www.silicone-review.gov.uk
Court-Appointed Doctors Find No Link Between Breast Implants and Disease:
Read the executive summary of the Scientific Panel's report at www.fjc.gov/BREIMLIT/SCIENCE/summary.htm.
A Status Report on Breast Implant Safety (historical):
From the US Food & Drug Administration - (more information on risks from the FDA)
Silicone Breast Implants: Scientific Update:
(July 1998 - A Joint Position Statement from the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. This page includes a large reference list of scientific studies.)
Mayo Clinic 2007:
(New data on complications in breast implant surgery - Mayo Clinic) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/breast-augmentation/WO00125
Still No Evidence that Breast Implants Cause Connective Tissue Disease:
(From the British Medical Journal)
http://www.bmj.com/archive/7129/7129e1.htm