Management of PIP Breast Implants
Subsequent to a recent television programme filmed in Australia it has become apparent that some women in New Zealand received PIP implants which were placed by an Auckland based GP surgeon.
These implants are suggested to carry a five times higher risk of rupture.
Further information on these implants can be found on the websites of the Australasian Society of Plastic Surgeons, the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and the British Association of Plastic Surgeons.
If you are concerned you have PIP implants or indeed are concerned about rupture we would recommend a diagnostic MRI scan and/or removal and replacement of the implants.
At The New Zealand Institute of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery we have never used PIP implants.
Mr Janek Januszkiewicz - International speaker on breast implant surgery
Janek Januszkiewicz has been invited to participate as a panelist and lecturer at the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Annual Scientific Meeting in Vancouver, May 2012 where he will speak on the topics relating to breast implant surgery. He has also been asked to contribute as a faculty member at the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Bi-ennial Congress in Geneva, September 2012
Mr Januszkiewicz attends Breast Augmentation Workshop in Singapore
In April Mr Januszkiewicz attended a breast augmentation workshop in Singapore hosted by Allergan Corporation. The workshop was led by Dr Charles Randquist, a Swedish plastic surgeon who shared his insights on breast implant surgery with the small group of Australian and New Zealand plastic surgeons attending.
Amongst the attendees were other current or former Presidents and office bearers of the Australian and New Zealand Plastic Surgery Societies which made for lively discussion amongst these senior plastic surgeons and the lecturer. There was opportunity outside of the workshop for further broad discussion on the status of plastic surgery in New Zealand and Australia.
All in all it was a great opportunity to network with colleagues and share ideas and clinical insights in the area of breast augmentation surgery.
Mr Gilbert presents at the ICAPS meeting in Maya Riviera in Mexico.
Mr Gilbert has just come back from the ICAPS meeting in Maya Riviera in Mexico. ICAPS is the International Confederation for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons which has a world wide membership with an maximum of fifty members. It meets in interesting places each year and is hosted by the member from that country. Each member has to present a paper.
Mr Gilbert presented an Audit that had been done on his and Mr Janek Januszkiewic’s breast implant practices over the last four years. This was put together by our Fellow, Jonathan Heather. The audit showed that 540 breast augmentations had been done in the Institute over that period, approximately half being round and half being anatomical or pear shaped. As a result of this study we are now moving towards using Polyurethane covered implants which adhere better to the surrounding tissues, reducing the capsular contraction rate and eliminating the possibility of rotation.
Mr Gilbert has learned more about these Polyurethane implants from Brazilian Surgeons who were at the Conference as well as many other useful plastic surgical tricks.
The Maya Coast of Mexico has beautiful weather, beaches, golf courses and restaurants. Underlying all this though is the rather sinister culture of the early Maya Indians when the Chief’s maintained their power by sacrificing members of the tribe on the tops of stone pyramids, many of which are still standing. One of these sites could be designated one of the eighth wonders of the world.
Mr Gilbert has been asked to convene the scientific program for the next ICAPS meeting to be held on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. There is interest in having a meeting in the near future in New Zealand.
Meanwhile Mr and Mrs Gilbert have been maintaining a balanced life style with bike riding through Molesworth Cattle Station and rafting down the Grey River from the Lewis Pass to Greymouth in the South Island and will be attending their eldest son’s wedding in England in June and will take the opportunity of visiting Wimbleton.
Janek Januszkiewicz - Guest Speaker at the Australasian Surgical Trainees Teaching Conference
Janek Januszkiewicz - Guest Speaker at the Australasian Surgical Trainees Teaching Conference -
Janek Januszkiewicz has just returned from two days in Sydney where he was the invited Guest Speaker for the Australasian Advanced Surgical Trainees Annual Teaching Conference. This gathers all of the post graduate plastic surgery trainees from hospitals in Australia and New Zealand for a week of focused education in preparation for their exit examinations to qualify as plastic surgeons.
Dr Januszkiewicz gave five presentations of 45 minutes each on the subjects of breast augmentation, breast reduction, combined breast implant and breast lift surgery and congenital breast problems such as constricted breast anomalies, Poland’s syndrome, breast hypoplasia, and the management of breast asymmetries.
Janek Januszkiewicz
9 March 2011
Janek Januszkiewicz participates in International Breast Implant Surgery Workshop in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
In February 2011 Janek Januszkiewicz participated in the first International Plastic Surgery Workshop organised by Silimed which gathered 200 of the leading plastic surgeons from all parts of the world in Rio de Janeiro to discuss new developments and trends in breast implant surgery. Participants included plastic surgeons from all continents including those as geographically separate as New Zealand and Italy or as politically remote from each other as Israel and Jordan.
The workshop included interactive discussion by the surgeon participants moderated by a panel of eminent Brazilian plastic surgeons. One fascinating aspect of this international gathering was the fact that all of this discussion took place in English, Portuguese and Spanish with each participant wearing translation ear pieces that provided instant live translation for all three languages so that it was a truly seamless experience of exchanging ideas with international colleagues without any barriers to communication.
The workshop included live demonstrations of breast implant surgery linked audiovisually to the audience with the opportunity to ask questions of the operating surgeon in real time. The following day included surgical demonstrations of gluteal implant surgery for buttock augmentation which has become increasingly popular in some countries, notably in South America.
A further highlight of the meeting was visiting the Silimed manufacturing facilities in Rio de Janeiro. This was a fascinating insight into the manufacturing of breast implants from start to finish and the rigorous quality assurance processes and accompanying modern technical advances that go into safe and reliable medical devices. Most of the attention was on the polyurethane foam coated implants which have been in use since the 1970s but have evolved considerably over that time. These are silicone filled implants that have a medical grade polyurethane foam bonded onto the outer shell which offers advantages over traditional silicone surface textured implants including reduction in capsular contracture rates long term and significant reduction in the risk of implant rotation or displacement. Silimed is so confident in their product that they offer a free of charge lifetime guarantee of replacement of any ruptured breast implant and a ten year replacement guarantee for polyurethane implants in the event of capsular contracture, rotation or displacement. Seeing the passion and commitment of the scientists and factory team behind the manufacturing of these implants was both reassuring and informative.
It was not all work as Dr Januszkiewicz and all the other surgeons enjoyed an afternoon trip to Corcovado (Sugar Loaf) which is accessed by a spectacular cable car ride and boasts stunning views of Rio de Janeiro including the famous Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. This was preceded by a luncheon at one of the famous Brazilian Churrascaria restaurants in which dozens of varieties of grilled meats are brought to the table in an endless feast of barbecue.
Over the last 12 months Dr Januszkiewicz has been turning more and more to the polyurethane foam surface coated silicone breast implants for patients seeking breast enhancement and for women requiring breast reconstruction after cancer treatment. The results have been pleasing and are offering even higher levels of safety and reliability to these patients as techniques and products continue to improve.
Janek Januszkiewicz
February 2011
