Purpose of Breast Implant Serial Numbers?

asked 2 years ago by anon
Latest answer by Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Question viewed 2,525 times
Tags: product

I am a reporter covering the story about slain model Jasmine Fiore. She was reportedly identified as a murder victim by a serial number found in her breast implant. Do all breast implants have serial numbers? For what purpose? Do they also have "chips" for making sure the implants are authentic?

11 answers to Purpose of Breast Implant Serial Numbers?

Breast implants have serial numbers for device tracking and quality assurance

On the back surface of the implant there is an imprint on the device which contains the name of the manufacturer, the style and size of the device as well as a serial number. When the device is placed a copy of the serial number, size and style information and manufacturer is placed in the patients chart, the Operating Room/hospital record and a copy is sent back to the manufacturer. The serial number is useful for quality control should there be an early failure of the device. There... more

John E. Gross, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Purpose of Breast Implant Serial Numbers?

Purpose of Breast Implant Serial Numbers? These are to track the implants in the event of needing to identify them.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant serial numbers

Breast implants have the manufacturer, size in cc's, and a number stamped on the back. Breast implants are implantable medical devices, (i.e.; pacemakers, defibrillators, etc). Implantable medical devices are required to be tracked for quality assurance and research purposes. At time of surgery this number is recorded in the patient's chart, and is sent off to the manufacturer. They can then track issues like leak rates, etc. There are no other... more

Jeffrey Roth, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Serial Numbers for Breast Implants

All breast implants, whether made by Mentor or Allergan, are identified by a lot number and a serial number. This is for research purposes. When patients receive implants a tracking form is sent to the company. Should the implant fail and need to be replaced, the failed implant is returned to the company. This does two things: 1. it is used for the guarantee and 2. it is used to study why the implant failed. No chips. That's a little too Big Brother.

Christopher L. Hess, MD
Fairfax Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant serial numbers

Jasmine Fiore was fortunate to have had these implants to identify her expeditiously since so much damage was done to her other natural ID's. I almost wish the way they identified her hadn't gotten out because now who knows what measures the next sick individual is going to take. There are no microchips in implants. Just saline or silicone. They have a serial number for tracking purposes because the companies that produce them in the US (Mentor by Johnson and Johnson or Natrelle by... more

Ricardo A. Meade, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant serial number

Hi. 1) If there was a group of infected implants, or ruptured implants, all coming from the same manufacturing batch, this would trigger a recall. Recall would be made possible by identifying serial numbers. But such a recall has actually never been necessary. 2) All breast implants do currently have serial numbers but not transponder chips. Chips are experimental.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant serial numbers for tracking, research, etc.

Serial numbers are very important for the purpose of implant tracking, quality assurance and research. Some gel implants are still included in the national study and it is required to to keep track of all implant info including serial numbers.

Hisham Seify, MD, PhD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant serial numbers

Breast implants have serial numbers for tracking purposes. Surgeons are supposed to report the patient information to the implant company for tracking purposes. This allows patients to be contacted for recalls ,etc..

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Purpose of breast implant serial numbers

Mike, The breast serial numbers allow the two large implant manufacturers Mentor and Allergan (formerly Inamed, formerly McGhan) to continuously track complication and leak rates and improve their production. No RF tags or others are currently placed and I think those may run afoul of privacy laws. I am NOT familiar of Jasmine Fiore's case but TV imitates life. A similar theme was presented in an episode of Law and Order. Moreover, a few years ago a Jane Doe was found slain in Florida (do... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

All implants have serial numbers

Yes, all implants do have serial numbers. Both manufacturers in the US (Allergan and Mentor corps) track their implants for quality assurance purposes such as for keeping track of leakage rates. All implants have on them their size and serial numbers. They do not have chips as of yet. Although anything is possible depending on where she had her surgery, I have not heard of any surgeon using imitation implants.

Bahram Ghaderi, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implant serial numbers

The two breast implant manufacturers (Allergan/Natrelle and Mentor) in the US place serial numbers on their implants. A device tracking form is submitted to the manufacturer at the time of implantation so that record is kept in case of a leak, etc. The implant size,style,lot number, and serial number is also given to the patient to keep. The implants are not equipped with chips. I have never heard of imitation or knock-off implants, but I suppose anything is possible. I make sure I get the... more