Scalpel News.(breast implant ruptures, Glabellar furrow relaxation, and new anesthetic cream Pliaglis)

Byline: Joan Kron

Breast Check

B reast implants are not lifetime devices; as research has shown, they often have to be replaced. Because there is conflicting data on implants' longevity, a group of British physicians offered free MRIs to 149 patients. All the women had textured, round silicone-filled implants of similar construction to currently available implants. The scans showed that about 15 percent of the implants had ruptured without the patients' knowledge. Statistical analysis indicated that such ruptures are most likely to begin when the implants are six to seven years old, and that by the thirteenth year, 11.8 percent of them have tears or leaks from no apparent cause. (The study was limited to 13.5 years.) Though it can't be assumed that this is true for all implant types, it is a guideline to gauge the risk. Lead study author Nick Collis, consultant plastic surgeon at Royal Victoria Infirmary in England, adds that the affected patients had no symptoms (such as soreness, hardness, lumps, or change to breast shape or size), and that asymptomatic ruptured implants "do not necessarily need replacing."

Longer Relaxer

A new alternative to Botox injections for vertical frown lines between the eyebrows may have a longer-lasting effect. Glabellar furrow relaxation (GFX) directs radio-frequency energy at nerves connected to forehead muscles to keep the muscles and skin from creasing. After administering local anesthesia, the doctor inserts a penlike device under the skin around the temple. Unlike Botox shots, which may take a few days to work, ...