Few Women Undergo MRI After Silicone Breast Implant

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 3, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Few women with silicone breast implants undergo magnetic resonance imaging in accordance with recommendations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to a study published in the August issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Libby R. Copeland-Halperin, M.D., a plastic surgeon practicing in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and colleagues surveyed patients aged 18 years or older with silicone breast implants placed between 2011 and 2016 to examine awareness of FDA recommendations regarding magnetic resonance imaging surveillance to detect asymptomatic rupture. A total of 109 patients consented to participate.

The researchers found that adherence to FDA recommendations was 5.9 percent. No difference was seen in adherence for patients undergoing cosmetic versus reconstructive surgery, for those with health insurance, or for those residing in a county with median annual household income greater than that of the state of residence.

“Only a minority of respondents undergo magnetic resonance imaging in accordance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommendation, and most patients are unaware of the recommendation, despite discussion of the issue perioperatively and receiving supplemental information pamphlets,” the authors write. “The low adherence highlights a limitation of current federal recommendations for surveillance.”