Silimed
1. What is silicone?
In the field of medicine, silicone is used in a variety of products: probes, catheters, tips for perforating needles and pace-makers. In the thin-tissue surgery field, implants are used to correct the body contour.
The first productive process of silicone polymers was patented in 1958.
Silicone, or dimethylpolysolixane in the language of chemists, is produced as silicone elastomer, silicone gel or silicone oil. In silicones, oxygen and silicon are linked in the same way as stones and glass. In addition, the methylic groups are linked to the silicon atoms. Except for amorphous silica as a stabilizing and filling material, silicone contains no other additive, and especially no softening agent.
2. Are polyurethane mammary implants cancerigenic?
No. The idea that the TDA (a chemical also known as Toluenediamina 2,4) released by polyurethane might be cancerigenic was refuted even by the FDA after studies published by the North-American inspection agency in 1995 proved the contrary. This was even reported in the last announcement made by that agency with regard to polyurethane implants
3. Have mammary implants coated with polyurethane foam been forbidden by the FDA?
No. This implant has never been forbidden by the FDA.
4. Can the silicone gel leak?
In comparison with first-generation implants, only insignificant traces of gel can be found in the capsular tissue. This is due to the proven quality both of the implant envelopes and the filling gel, which is highly cohesive and of low transudation.
5. What does cohesiveness mean?
Cohesiveness is the property that silicone gel molecules have of keeping linked together and not allowing the gel to ‘leak’ if the implant breaks. A common mistake is to confuse hardness with cohesiveness. What characterizes a cohesive gel are properties of elongation and memory, rather than hardness. A gel does not need to be hard to be cohesive.
6. Patient's card?
In order to offer even more security, Silimed provides a "patient's card" on each implant box for the surgeon or his/her team to place the labels with the serial and ref numbers and the volume of the implants used on each breast. Always carry this card with you to show for any reason, such as a mammography examination.
7. How should I prepare for a visit to my surgeon?
Ask your doctor anything you want to know. Prepare yourself for this conversation making a list of the doubts which occurred to you.
It is very important that you make sure of your choice, before the surgery.
8. What is the useful life of a silicone implant?
Silicone implants do not have a useful-life limit established by the scientific community. Silimed defines an average period of ten years as the expected useful life, but this parameter may be altered if some reason arises to justify it.
The patient must have periodical follow-up to assess the need to change the implant. Although the limits of the useful life of implants are not acknowledged by the scientific community, Silimed defines an average period of ten years as the expected useful life, but this parameter may be changed if some reason arises to justify it. Today we know of several patients in Brazil and abroad who have had the same implant for more than twenty years without any problem.
9. How often after surgery should I visit the doctor for a check-up?
It is best that a semi-annual or annual basis control is made with your doctor.
Locate a Silimed representative in your country.