subject: The Future Of Breast Implants [print this page] While breast augmentation has served as a valuable tool for women world-wide, and brought a sense of closure to breast cancer survivors who were forced to undergo a mastectomy, the inserts used in augmentations themselves are not always safe. The gel silicone based implants now used for the majority of surgeries have an approximately 30% failure rate.
This rate of failure is quite alarming, and so is the fact that it means many women who undergo augmentation will have to return to the surgery table to replace or fix the silicone implants- and sometimes 3 or more times. With these disheartening statistics in mind, Dr. Judit E. Puskas set out with one goal in mind- to use her expertise to create a safer, better implant.
Nanotechnology in Plastic Surgery
Dr. Puskas is the professor of polymer science at The University of Akron, and has made amazing discoveries in the field of nanotechnology. She is using her research to create one amazing breast implant that can not only provide a safer alternative to women who have undergone mastectomies, but can actually prove to be medically beneficial.
Her implants are revolutionary; they are soft and pliable, offering a very natural breast like feel, but are infinitely better than your run of the mill silicone implants. They are scientifically miraculous. Created from a complicated design of a transparent, thermoplastic elastomer these implants are also coated in an antimicrobial substance that is completely safe for use on an implant device and will help to prevent infections from forming- a vital addition for women undergoing breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.
Medical Benefits
Another bonus of these implants? Dr. Puskas is working to make them capable of delivering drugs. These implants would be able to deliver necessary drugs for breast cancer patients directly and locally, which would improve the efficiency of the drugs as well as help to reduce side effects of chemotherapy.
For this amazing project, Dr. Judit Puskas has teamed up with the renowned Dr. Steven Schmidt. Together, they have been working on further developing the implants, with Puskas working with the proprietary polymer. This polymer will be what the implants themselves are made from, and is currently being used as a coating for the FDA approved Taxus Drug Eluting Stent. This polymer was originally developed by Puskas with the help of Dr. Joseph Kennedy.
Having achieved the discovery, creation, and helpful use of this polymer once, Dr. Puskas is now hoping that she can use it to help the 75% of post-mastectomy patients who opt for breast augmentation. Her motivation being the aftercare and support of breast cancer survivors, this new technology being put to use for the health and well- being of women everywhere is opening up new doors of opportunity for those who need it most.
by: Peter Wendt
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
