“New / Old” Breast Implants
An article recently published in the Philadelphia Inquirier discussed the resurgence of the use of silicone implants in breast augmentation surgeries. This article caught my eye, first because it was brought in by a patient of mine, but also due to the fact that I had an experience a number of years ago with a patient who suffered a debilitating auto-immune complication of a silicone breast implant which had perforated. This woman went through a series of horrible complications including joint and muscle pain, weakness, stiffness, and overall feelings of malaise and flu-like symptoms. Following similar complaints, the Food and Drug Administration pulled silicone breast implants from the market for a number of years. It now appears as if the FDA is lifting their multi-year ban on the use of silicone breast implants and considers them to be “reasonably safe,” whatever that means.
Following the multiple complications associated with silicone breast implantation, billions of dollars of product liability cases hit the courts involving hundreds of thousands of women who suffered the horrible complications of these unnatural substances being placed within their bodies. Now it appears that women are willing to take this risk once again.
According to this article, “. . . even though the considerable risks of implants have never been clearer, breast enlargement has never been more popular.” The article goes on to say, “In 2005 360,000 American women - nine times more than when the FDA restricted implants in 1992 – paid an average $5000 (more like $6000 - $10,000 in the Philadelphia area) to get bigger bosoms. That’s all out of pocket, because health insurance doesn’t cover it.” These are staggering figures and are especially disheartening when women choose to spend this kind of money on breast enhancement surgeries when at the same time they may be struggling to pay other bills. A shift of priorities in today’s society has created this dilemma and allowed it to proliferate.
This Philadelphia Inquirer article goes on to state, “Year after year, the demand increases, data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show. All toll, an estimated 3.7 U.S. women have gotten bigger breasts – more than the population of Connecticut. Most of them went under the knife after 1992, even though the majority had to get cosmetically inferior saline implants which were also the subject of safety questions.”
As this article “emphasizes, following the ban of silicone breast implants by the FDA in 1992, plastic surgical supply companies went out of their way to look for a safer form of breast implant. They settled on saline, which is a relatively inert form of implant; however, it also has health risks. As was noted in the Philadelphia Inquirer article there is, “at least one significant complication within four years, including 23% who need another operation to fix breast hardening, pain, swelling, scarring, asymmetry, rupture, or other problems.” The findings indicate the complication rate with breast implants is 57%. Not to mention the fact that these women need to be monitored closely and require MRI scans every few years, which of course, is at their own expense since this is an elective procedure. This is required since gel implants can rupture without the knowledge of the patient and can only be detected through advance scanning procedures such as an MRI.
Another unfortunate aspect of this whole process is that women are attempting to get larger and larger breasts. Many will undergo a second surgery for an even larger enhancement. Unfortunately, these women are not looking to the future and recognizing the fact they’re creating a situation that will cause even more disfigurement as time goes on and they progress through life.
According to Walter Erhardt, Chair of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, “Long-term, the heavier the implant, the more wear and tear on the breast and the back. You may be able to put a size 8 foot in a size 7 shoe, but eventually you’re going to have a problem.”
I hope that women reading this article will recognize the significant risks and complications involved with this procedure, whether it is saline or silicone. Silicone in my opinion is far more risky for a patient. Of course, my opinion is that this is a very unnatural process which will cause potential harm immediately or later in life.
I trust women considering this process will heed some of the warnings and do their research before jumping into the procedure. As always, I hope that this information will enlighten some and spark further research and study. For those of you have missed recent articles, feel free to jump on our website at www.upchiropractic.com to download previous articles.