THE SO CALLED “IDEAL IMPLANT”

Many of our patients have been inquiring about the highly marketed and touted “Ideal Implant”. First of all the “Ideal Implant” is not a FDA approved device as has been advertised in recent paid for Sunday Florida Times Union articles. The “Ideal Implant” is a triple lumen saline device which is a variation of multi-lumen devices attempted during the past three decades. Dr. Obi was indeed one of the earliest pioneers of saline breast implants publishing his first study in 1975 after a 3 year trial of saline breast implants. From 1992 to 2007 Dr. Obi was a participating plastic surgeon with an adjuvant study of silicone gel breast implants conducted by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). During this period of time the two primary American manufacturers of silicone implants (Allergan & Mentor) have developed safe and state of the art gel breast implants. The international standard for safe and more permanent breast implants is not saline but silicone gel. Prefilled saline and multi-lumen breast implants have had a terrible track record in terms of deflation and implant failure. As with the FDA study of silicone gel implants which extended over a period of 15 years, the so called “Ideal Implant” will have to undergo similar scrutiny.