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"More women
are getting breast implants than ever before. In 2000, a total
of 203,310 women underwent breast implant surgery for augmentation,
and 82,975 women underwent breast implant surgery for reconstruction
after mastectomy in 1999 (the most recent statistics available).
The number of women and teenage girls who chose implants to
augment their breast size more than doubled between 1997 and
2000."
These statistics
are from a commentary
written by Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center
for Policy Research for Women & Families and a longtime
critic of the breast implant industry.
The Food and Drug
Administration has strictly limited use of the most popular
type of implant -- the kind filled with silicone gel -- after
reports that it might cause debilitating
illnesses.
Who manufactures
implants in the US?
Two main implant
manufacturers in the United States:
- Inamed
Aesthetics: Officials at Inamed Corp., have said they
are finishing clinical studies of silicone gel implants
and hope to apply for an FDA review later this year. The
United States is the only major country where silicone gel
implants are limited.
- Mentor
Corp, Inc.: Mentor Corp. of Santa Barbara, Calif. is
going through a criminal investigation focused
on Mentor's research procedures and allegations of document
destruction and faulty manufacturing. The company has also
been criticized for the limited contact the FDA has been
able to create with women in a follow-up study. Mentor also
just announced that it will build a large silicone implant
facility in the Netherlands.
What are the
known risks of implants?
These are known
risks, as maintained by the FDA:
Surgical Risks:
- Possible complications
of general anesthesia, as well as nausea, vomiting and fever
- Infection
- Hematoma (collection
of blood that may cause swelling, pain and bruising, perhaps
requiring surgical draining)
- Hemorrhage (abnormal
bleeding)
- Thrombosis (abnormal
clotting)
- Skin necrosis
-- skin tissue death resulting from insufficient blood flow
to the skin.
The chance of skin necrosis may be increased by radiation
treatments, cortisone-like drugs, an implant too large for
the available space, or smoking.
Implant Risks:
- Autoimmune diseases
- Capsular contracture
(hardening of the breast due to scar tissue)
- Leak or rupture
-- silicone implants may leak or rupture slowly, releasing
silicone gel into surrounding tissue; saline implants may
rupture suddenly and deflate, usually requiring immediate
removal or replacement
- Temporary or
permanent change or loss of sensation in the nipple or breast
tissue
- Formation of
calcium deposits in surrounding tissue, possibly causing
pain and hardening
- Shifting from
the original placement, giving the breast an unnatural look
- Interference
with mammography readings, possibly delaying breast cancer
detection by "hiding" a suspicious lesion."
Are women choosing
saline-filled or silicone implants?
Many American women
have turned to the saltwater-filled alternative implants with
the current restriction on saline implants. Public health
advocates and physicians remain alarmed about implants of
all types. The research confirms that planting a device in
a woman's breast can cause serious, predictable and often
costly complications. The same public health advocates maintain
that the FDA is not providing American women the information
and protection they need.
What is the
most common breast implant problem?
Pain and hardening
from the scar tissue around the implants are common, but the
biggest medical issues involve implant deflations, as saltwater
leakage can contribute to infections. The health risks from
leaking silicone implants remain controversial. Research by
the FDA and National Institutes of Health has recently found
increased fibromyalgia (a disease of generalized pain and
tenderness) in women with silicone implants, as well as an
increase in brain cancer.
Why is fueling
this breast implant phenomenon?
Recent research
shows that the willingness of many women to undergo breast
augmentation is closely linked to their body image. The research
shows that women are getting implants in their twenties through
their forties. More than 5,000 procedures in the past two
years are for women under 18 years of age. Research has postulated
that many American women desire cosmetic surgery due to the
highly idealized body image presented by the Western media.
What does this
mean for the modern woman?
The implications
of this trend are serious, not only for a woman's health,
but also for her financial security or overall well-being.
The money that a woman spends on breast augmentation doesn't
go into her 401(k), investments, vacations or down payments
on a home.
Plast
Reconstr Surg 2002 Jan;109(1):363-9; discussion 370-1
Plast
Surg Nurs 2002 Summer;22(2):66-71.
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