International Breast Implant Registry: a user report

The International Breast Implant Registry (IBIR) was founded in 2002 under the auspices of the International Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery Foundation (IPRAF), the International Confederation for Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery (IPRAS), and the European and International Committee for Quality Assurance, Medical Technologies, and Devices in Plastic (EQUAM) on the basis of continuous discussion about the safety and compatibility of different breast implants. The IBIR aims to integrate and replace the already existing national breast implant registries. It also is assumed that the European Parliament, the Food and Drug Administration, and international organizations of plastic and aesthetic surgeons will postulate obligatory international breast implant registration. Currently, IBIR is in a pilot phase with the goal of understanding data collection issues and concerns in various countries whereby the data entered to date will be completely available in the final version. A well-established global registry represents an important tool of quality assurance. By publishing their experiences in applying the registry, the authors aim to encourage more plastic and aesthetic surgeons to submit their cases to the registry and thus enhance its value as a successful and powerful device.