Three-thousand Australian women are participating in a trial that will help to determine if titanium-coated silicone breast implants, produced by a French company, could help reduce capsular contracture (hardened scar tissue around the implant) and maintain the strength of the implant shell. Titanium is commonly used in medical devices such as hip and knee replacements, with a low rate of scar tissue or rejection.
Reporting at an April 13th meeting of plastic surgeons in Melbourne, Dr. Daniel Fleming noted that since November 2006, 80 women have received the implants, with only one reported complication. The implant is a silicone implant no different than those used today in Europe, Australia and the U.S., with the exception of a micro-thin coating of titanium on the implant shell. Initial results should be available within a year. At this point, it is unknown whether this kind of implants will interfere with mammography or airport security scanners.
