FDA concludes silicone breast implants mostly safe

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials say the latest data on silicone breast implants show they are relatively safe, despite frequent complications that lead about one in five women to have the implants removed within ten years.

A Food and Drug Administration report issued today is the agency's first safety assessment of the implants since regulators returned them to the market in 2006. That followed a 14-year ban when only saline-filled implants were widely available.

The FDA pulled silicone implants off the market in 1992, saying manufacturers had not provided medical data showing their safety and effectiveness. At the time, there were worries about a connection to a variety of diseases, including cancer and lupus.

But the agency returned the implants to the market five years ago after most studies failed to find a link between silicone breast implants and those diseases. Patients and plastic surgeons say the silicone-filled implants look and feel more real than saline versions.