LifeBridge Health Plastic Surgeons Offer New FDA-Approved Option for Women Considering Breast Implants

Baltimore, MD - LifeBridge Health plastic surgeons Ronald H. Schuster, M.D., and Jeffrey E. Schreiber, M.D., are the first two plastic surgeons in the Baltimore area to offer a new Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved breast implant, designed to provide the natural feel of silicone gel-filled implants with the safety of saline.

"This implant is the first major design change in 30 years, which may be of interest to women who have been reluctant to choose saline implants because of how they feel," says Dr. Schuster. "With this implant, two saline-filled chambers and a series of implant shells nested together are designed to control the movement of the saline filler, giving the implant a more natural feel."

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation is the most popular plastic surgery procedure with nearly 300,000 procedures performed last year.

"Along with the original saline-filled implants and silicone gel-filled implant, this new implant offers another option for women considering breast augmentation surgery," says Dr. Schreiber.  "The design of this saline implant may reduce the folding and wrinkling, which were thought to be one of the causes of implant rupture and deflation."

This new implant is FDA approved for breast augmentation in women over the age of 18. Women who are pregnant, nursing or have an active infection are not candidates, and it is not yet approved for breast reconstruction.

"As with any surgery, a woman really needs to work with her doctor to find the best option for her individual needs and circumstances," adds Dr. Schuster.

Dr. Schuster is the chair of the Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Northwest Hospital. Both he and Dr. Schreiber are plastic surgeons with the Cosmetic Surgery Center at Northwest Hospital and the Sinai Division of Plastic Surgery.

The FDA approved the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant last year, based on results from a multi-center clinical trial in the United States with 500 women over five years.

LifeBridge Health is one of the largest providers of health care in Maryland. In addition to Northwest and Sinai hospitals, LifeBridge Health includes Carroll Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, and related subsidiaries and affiliates.

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