Weitz & Luxenberg Urges Caution When Choosing Silicone Breast Implants

NEW YORK, NY April 16, 2005 Manhattan personal injury law firm, known for representing women harmed by silicone breast implants, urges women considering silicone breast implants to exercise caution when choosing silicone implants over their saline alternatives. Although the firm is not currently seeking new silicone breast implant clients, they feel strongly that consumers should be aware of potentially dangerous products on the market.
On April 13, 2005, the FDA determined that silicone breast implants made by the Mentor Corporation should be available to women who undergo cosmetic breast surgery. Implants made by another company, Inamed Corporation, were not approved. This decision comes after a 13 year ban on silicone breast implants imposed by the FDA after evidence showed the silicone implants posed serious health risks to women should the implants rupture and leak.
The FDA heard testimony from both women who had been injured by silicone breast implants and women who urged the FDA to lift the ban on silicone breast implants. The testimony was part of a three-day hearing held to by the FDA to determine if the ban on silicone breast implants should be lifted.
Implant manufacturers, recipients, and other special interest groups had a chance to testify. The two implant manufacturers, Inamed and Mentor Corporations, tried to prove their implants are safe enough to enter the US market.
Despite Mentor Corporation’s approval, questions remain about the safety of implants - how long they can stay in a woman's body and what health effects there are if they rupture and the silicone gel leaks into the woman's breast or beyond.
Some women claim that silicone breast implants are more comfortable than their saline-filled counterparts. They want the silicone implants to be placed back on the market and made widely available. Before the approval of Mentor’s implants, silicone breast implants were only available to women who participated in strictly controlled research studies.
Opponents of silicone breast implants say silicone implants can cause painful scarring, disfigurement, and severe health problems if the silicone leaks into the body. The implants have been largely cleared of accusations of causing cancer and lupus, but with a 1% to 20% rupture rate, serious health concerns persist.
People with questions about silicone breast implants can contact Weitz & Luxenberg. Interested parties should call the Client Relations Department at 1 (800) 476-6070, email clientrelations@weitzlux.com, and view the firm's website at http://www.weitzlux.com.
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Contact:

David Kufeld, Director of Marketing
Weitz & Luxenberg, PC
180 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038
(212) 558-5682 - phone
(212) 558-5692 - fax
dkufeld@weitzlux.com