News Roundup – Breast Augmentation

We’re all familiar with breast augmentation as a way to improve your figure, but what about breast augmentation solely for the purpose of looking great on vacation? A New York plastic surgeon set out to develop temporary “vacation breasts” for women interested in the benefits of breast augmentation, but not quite ready to commit to the long-term just yet. The temporary augmentation can last for up to a few weeks, and then, like Cinderella’s pumpkin chariot, your breasts will return to their original state. While the procedure may be tempting for women interested in experiencing what day-to-day life would be like with larger breasts, the long-term effects of temporary augmentation are yet unknown.

Breast augmentation is one procedure that just keeps on developing, and the future of breast augmentation may include the ability to augment the breasts using stem cells. Currently, the majority of research on stem cells for improving the breasts is centered on breast reconstruction, but researchers are also looking into the ability to enhance breasts with stem cells for cosmetic reasons. While only mild size increases have been achieved using the technique in Tokyo, the results are promising. It may be several more years before long-term implications of stem cell breast augmentation are fully understood.

Ever since breast implants have existed, myths have circulated wildly connecting the devices to breast cancer. This was largely brought about by reports in the 1980s that found women with breast implants to have a high degree of autoimmune disorders. The FDA subsequently placed a voluntary moratorium on silicone breast implants in the U.S. However, no other country in the world banned the use of silicone implants. In 1999, Congress finally enlisted a panel of scientists to research the effects of silicone implants extensively, and what they found debunked any myths of breast cancer linked with breast implants. Their report stated no causal link between implants of any kind and diseases. Instead, it was deduced that the earlier connection between implants and autoimmune disorders had been merely a correlation. In short, young women (and men) were typically affected by autoimmune disorders. The same segment of the population happened to be the ones getting breast implants. There were plenty of young people with autoimmune disorders who did not have breast implants. Breast implants today are safer than ever, with countless women enjoying the benefits of implants for their whole lives.

The FDA issued an approval for the “gummy bear” breast implant in 2013. This new silicone gel breast implant was part of the Natrelle® 410 line manufactured by Allergan, Inc. Dubbed “gummy bear” implants because of their fillings, these implants are made with a highly cohesive silicone gel that holds its form even when cut in two, much like a gummy bear would. They are anatomically shaped to mimic the natural fall of the breast, with the most volume on the bottom of the breast and a gently sloping top. The texture of gummy bear implants is also thought to more closely resemble the texture of natural breast tissue, making these implants a popular choice among women with very little breast tissue to cover up an implant.