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What you need to know about breast implants |
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Written by Karen Shideler, McClatchy-Tribune
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Saturday, 24 March 2007 |
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When silicone breast implants won federal approval in November, manufacturers told plastic surgeons to expect a 10 percent to 15 percent increase in demand the first year. Among Wichita, Kan., plastic surgeon James Shaw's patients, it's been more like 50 percent.
"We're seeing way more silicone" than saline implants chosen by women seeking breast augmentation, Shaw says. With silicone implants widely available again, it will be interesting to see whether the number of breast augmentation surgeries increases overall. Already, breast augmentation is the second most popular cosmetic plastic surgery procedure (liposuction is first).
In 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 364,610 women got breast implants, according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The number was up 9 percent from 2004.
Here are some questions and answers about breast implants:
WHO GETS IMPLANTS?
Shaw doesn't know how many Kansas women get breast implants each year, but he says 85 percent to 90 percent of the implants he does are for cosmetic reasons rather than for breast reconstruction. His average patients are women between 25 and 45 who have had children and "want to get back to more like how they were prior to having children." Most women lose breast volume with each pregnancy.
That was the case for Jane Doe, a Wichita woman who asked that her real name not be used. After giving birth to three children, " I kind of lost the oomph that I'd had," she says. She also had a husband who wanted her to look good in a swimsuit for their backyard pool.
ARE WOMEN GOING FOR THE ANNA NICOLE LOOK?
No. "I would say most people are trying to get to a C cup, and trying to fill up the skin that's loose after they've lost volume," Shaw says.
An average implant weighs about 12 ounces. That sounds like a lot, but implants usually are placed behind muscle, against the rib cage, so they don't feel heavy.
DO WOMEN CHANGE THEIR MINDS AFTER GETTING IMPLANTS?
Occasionally. Shaw says he has had one woman in 12 years ask to have her implants removed. About 20 percent of his patients "wish they had gone bigger."
Jane Doe, who got her implants in the 1970s, had them removed in 1994 because they had ruptured. Six years later, she got new implants "because I just didn't like the way I looked" — though her current husband was just fine with her appearance.
SO IMPLANTS DON'T LAST FOREVER?
No. They can leak and need to be replaced. The natural scar tissue around an implant can contract, and additional surgery may be necessary. Pregnancy, weight loss and menopause also may change their appearance. And some older women may find they look unnatural — a natural breast shifts to the side when a woman lies on her back; an implant doesn't.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SILICONE AND SALINE IMPLANTS?
The filling. Both have the same outer shell, made of silicone. Saline implants are filled with saline — saltwater. Silicone implants have a silicone gel. In place, they look the same. Shaw says most women think the silicone implants feel more natural to the touch. They're softer than saline implants.
In the early 1990s, the FDA restricted the use of silicone implants after women started filing lawsuits that linked a variety of health problems, from rashes to autoimmune diseases, to their implants.
Until recently, women could get silicone implants only in certain cases. In announcing its broad approval of the implants, the FDA said scientific evidence "provides reasonable assurance of the benefits and risks" and said decisions should be left to patients and their doctors.
WHAT ARE THE DRAWBACKS?
"There's times I just wish they weren't there, like when I go have a mammogram," Jane Doe says. Mammograms are more difficult and more painful with implants, she says.
In addition, "I think, what are they going to look like when I'm 90?" And, "I do think they give me a heavier look, and I don't like that."
Another woman, who was in the process of getting implants after a mastectomy, said patients need to understand that infection is always a risk with surgery. She isn't going forward with her plans for implants.
People can expect to be off work for a week or two after surgery. Insurance does not pay for cosmetic procedures, so cost is obviously a factor.
In addition, some people just don't know what they're getting into. A survey by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons showed that nearly 40 percent of plastic surgery patients believe they should have been more proactive in learning about potential side effects and complications before surgery.
HOW MUCH DO IMPLANTS COST?
About $4,200, Shaw says.
SO WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?
Talk to your doctor.
www.surgery.org is the Web site of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
www.plasticsurgery.org is the site for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
www.breastimplantsafety.org is a consumer site with information about implants.
www.fda.gov/cdrh/breastimplants/ is the federal Food and Drug Administration's site on implants. | Only registered users can write comments.
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