It came as great news yesterday that the FDA approved Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Ideal Breast Implant for use in the U.S.
Back at our Virgin Islands Workshop in 2010, a friend and plastic surgery colleague, Dr. Robert Hamas, introduced plastic surgeons at our meeting to a prototype for an implant he had developed. The new implant, which he called the Ideal Implant®, combined the best of silicone gel and saline implants.
Dr. Hamas felt that many women liked the natural result of the silicone gel implants, but preferred the safety of a saline implant should the implant leak or rupture. Regular MRI scans are typically the only way women can detect a leak or rupture with silicone gel implants. With saline implants, deflation is much more obvious.
Bob also demonstrated that the Allergan, Natrelle 410 or “gummy bear” implant when ruptured and left to stand, does leak, despite the claims that it is stable and holds together. This gained much attention from the plastic surgeons at the meeting, where there was much excitement about the Ideal Implant® being developed and, hopefully, becoming FDA approved.
Many years of research, testing, input from women and from plastic surgeons led to the design of the Ideal Implant®. Clinical trials have been underway since 2009 with enrollment ending in 2010. Follow up clinical studies conclude in 2020.
On the outside, the Ideal Implant resembles a standard saline implant, with lower edges so that it contours better to the chest wall. On the inside, there are a series of additional implant shells that are nested together to reduce bouncing ,wrinkling and collapse in the upper part of the implant. The Ideal Implant is hybrid implant that combines the best of the saline and silicone gel implants.
We are very excited to be one of the first plastic surgery offices in Michigan to be able to offer the Ideal Implant when it becomes available in the first quarter of 2015.
If you are interested in learning more about the Ideal Implant, please contact Dr. Ringler at 616.328.8800.
