Actresses Call On Government To Keep Silicone Breast Implant Restrictions (NAPSA)—Women in enter- tainment gathered in Beverly Hills, California recently to call on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to stop thesilicone breast implant approval process. They also described, in anguishing detail, their own problems with the devices. They hope to bring the truth to light about the sicknesses they have had, and how their onset took more than four years to debilitate them. The FDAis considering one com- pany’s application to lift restrictions on sales of silicone gel breast implants using less than three years of clinical trial data. Health problems begin, on average, seven to 10 years after implantation, say scientists and physicians. As Dr. Edward Melmed, a noted plastic surgeon to Hollywood celebrities has observed, “For the first five Former “Waltons” star Mary McDonough andother actresses are raising awareness of the ongoing health problems associated with silicone breast implants. years, most of my patients did not complain of problems. The second five years, about half of the women were having some problems. At 10 to 15 years after implantation, nearly all my patients were sick in some way and wanted the implants removed.” Celebrity women who have been sharing their stories in an effort to prevent others from making the same mistake include Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winnerSally Kirkland, Mary McDonough and Judy Norton from “The Waltons,” Leigh Taylor Young (“Dallas,” pattern. All reported that their health deteriorated over time. While some suffered moderate pain and others got seriouslyill, all of their problems began years after augmentation. “T didn’t make the connection between the implants andtheillnesses for years,” said McDonough, the founder of In the Know, a health advocacy group which sponsored the celebrity event. “The crushing headaches, the constant flu-like symptoms, joint pain and other problems got increasingly worse over time.” Blair (The Exorcist) and Mariel Hemingway (Manhattan, Star 80). Their stories followed a similar out how to contact the FDA on the issue, visit the In the Know Web site at www.intheknow.org. “Picket Fences,” Slackers), Linda For more information or to find
