Want breast implants? Do research first

[Guest guest]

She's back! . . . apparently representing the plastic

surgery industry! . . . At least that's who she

credits with her information! . . .

I wonder what she'll say after hearing from some of

our ladies?

Is she bought and paid for, or an honest reporter?

Rogene

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Posted on Mon, Nov. 14, 2005

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/charlotte/living/health/13161743.htm?source=rss & cha\

nnel=charlotte_health

Want breast implants? Do research first

KAREN GARLOCH

kgarloch@...

Despite the U.S. government's 1992 partial ban on

silicone gel-filled implants, demand for cosmetic

breast augmentation has continued to rise.

With saline as a substitute for silicone, breast

implant surgery is the second most popular cosmetic

procedure, next to liposuction.

In 2004, more than 300,000 U.S. women had breast

implant surgery, compared with 100,000 in 1997, when

the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

began keeping track.

If you're considering breast implants, remember that

it's surgery, with all the associated risks, such as

infection, bleeding and scarring. Before you decide,

do your homework. Here are some suggestions from

medical organizations and Web sites:

Ask Questions

• Choose a plastic surgeon certified by the American

Board of Plastic Surgery.• Get names of reputable

surgeons from family physician, family members,

friends, medical societies or hospitals.

• Interview several surgeons. Find out how many

operations they have performed and which implant

procedure they prefer -- around the nipple or under

the breast or armpit, under the chest muscle or on top

of it.

• Bring your doctor photographs of women you'd like to

look like.

• Ask surgeons to see " before " and " after " pictures of

other patients, and talk to implant patients about

their experiences.

• Check with the state medical board for complaints or

disciplinary action against surgeons. Malpractice

claims are on file at the county courthouse.

• Office-based surgery centers should be accredited by

an agency such as the American Association for the

Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities or the

Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care

Know the Risks

• Some implant patients complain of capsular

contracture, or a hardening and change in shape that

occurs as scar tissue forms. Others notice skin

wrinkling or rippling.

• No implant is permanent. Like heart pacemakers,

breast implants will need to be replaced, often within

10 to 15 years, if not before. Implants can rupture

and may need to be replaced to prevent complications.

• The presence of implants can make it more difficult

to get reliable mammograms, and they can also

interfere with breast-feeding.

Cost

• Health insurance does not cover cosmetic surgery.

Nationally, the price for breast implant surgery

ranges from $3,000 to $10,000.

For More Information

• American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery:

www.surgery.org.• American Society of Plastic

Surgeons: www.plasticsurgery.org.

• National Research Center for Women & Families:

www.breastimplantinfo.org.

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration:

www.fda.gov/cdrh/breastimplants/index.html.

• American Board of Plastic Surgery:

www.www.abplsurg.org/

• American Board of Medical Specialties:

www.abms.org/.

Cosmetic Breast Implants

• Age 18 and younger: 1.3 percent of the total number

of procedures. (Reasons listed for this age group: 40

percent, cosmetic bilateral breast augmentation; 23

percent, severe asymmetry; 15 percent, tubular breast

deformity; 12 percent, congenital absent breast; 7

percent, severe underdevelopment; 3 percent, other.)

• Age 19-34: 52.5 percent.

• Age 35-50: 39.8 percent.

• Age 51-64: 6.1 percent.

• Age 65 plus: 0.3 percent.

• Total U.S. expenditures: $1.148 billion

• National average cost: $3,437 (surgeon's fees only)

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SOURCE: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

(2004 statistics)