102 - 6086 Boundary Drive West

Surrey, B.C. V3X 2B3

Telephone: (604) 572-8486

By the early 80's most Corporations had discontinued production of the saline implants and were marketing only residual stock.

One reason was the publication of information on fungal infections associated with the use of their (manufacturer's) products.

How interesting that the plastic surgeons report makes no mention of this. (The Newsletter of The Canadian Society Of Plastic Surgeons, Winter-Spring 1994)

The elastomer shell is made of silicone and is still being used. We know that they made variations to the thickness of this semi-permeable shell. We know that regardless of how thick it is, it has slow seepage through it. This is caused by movement of the body and arms that causes change in pressure within the breast. The implant then becomes septic from fungus and bacteria contained in the outdated saline (saline has a shelf-life) and micro-organisms.

With saline having a shelf-life and body fluid passing in and saline coming out of the implant it does not take long for the implant to become septic. Many women develop a pattern of infection and the nature of the micro-organisms in the process are different from what is encountered in naturally occurring infections.

If a saline implant is left on a table, the saline will evaporate in several weeks. The implant will go flat, all by itself. This proves the semi-permeable elastomer silicone shell is not air tight. Fluids go both in and out of all breast implants, therefore the specialists in implant failure and design, prove implants become septic.

Instead, the progression parallels diseases more frequently encountered in a military trauma context, in particular in connection with wounds and deeply embedded foreign debris. Residual disease processes may take many years to abate and continuing problems are expected over the short term.

Many doctors, other than plastic surgeons, question any kind of implant in the breast. The breast is a disease-prone part of a woman's body that easily infects.

Some implants have been implanted with a faulty valve that will release the contents soon.

All implants obscure breast tissue: When using mammography, cancerous tumours are hidden by scar tissue and the capsules surrounding the implants. (Canada Health and Welfare advises against implanted women having mammograms as it weakens the implant and may even cause it to rupture; they say go for ultrasounds only.)

If a woman is concerned about cancer, her implants will often hid the disease. Silicone did encourage and/or cause cancer in rats. "It would be irresponsible to disregard the possibility of malignant development of permanent implants in humans". FDA report to American Congress 1992, pages 8, 46, 47.

Scar tissue may improve the environment for micro-organisms: This is true whether those organisms were implanted with the implant or came from a woman's own body.

It has been established that a nursing infant can break an implant with a 1/4-pound nursing pull. Do you want these toxins in your baby's stomach. I think not.

Adella Matthew

President