The Benefits and Risks of Breast Augmentation Essay -- Breast Implant

The Benefits and Risks of Breast Augmentation Every day women are bombarded with images of beautiful models with thin figures and huge round breast. In striving to achieve the ?ideal? body type women are altering their bodies; cosmetic surgery has increased enormously in the past few years. Breast augmentation alone has increased 500% since 1992. What are the benefits of having big voluptuous breasts? Do the benefits overweigh the risks? There are two main types of breast implants. One is filled with silicone gel and the other is filled with saline (sterile salt water); both of these implants have an outer silicone shell. Prior to 1991 both types of implants were approved by the FDA, but in April of 1992 silicone filled implants were restricted by the FDA to patients with needs of reconstruction, replacement of deformities, and replacement of ruptured silicone-gel filled implants that were used for augmentation. Saline filled implants are currently approved by the FDA for women 18 years old or older desiring breast augmentation and for reconstruction in women of all ages. The restriction on silicone filled implants was provoked by the concern that the leaking of silicone gel could be detrimental to the body in the case that an implant ruptured. By contrast, a saline filled implant would only release salt water in to the body. However saline filled implants are not completely risk free. An implant is a foreign object in your body thus the body can and typically does form scar tissue around it. This scar tissue can squeeze and harden the implant causing it to rupture. The tightening and squeezing is called capsular contracture and may cause hardening of the breast, rippling of the skin, and changes in breast shape... ...not scientifically proven, many health risks may arise from breast implants. Such risks include rupture of implants, loss of sensation, inability to breast feed, hardening of breast tissue, rippling of the skin, and interference in the detection of breast cancer. There are other ways to enhance a woman?s breast but in the end it is her decision as to what route she wants to take. Bibliography California or Bust. Author: Wallace, Amy. Source: Los Angeles Magazine V. no 1 (Jan 2002) P 40-45 Saline Breast Implants Stay on Market as Experts Warn about Risks. Author: Linda Bren. Source: FDA Consumer 34 no4 Jl/Ag 2000 P 9-11 Implanting Fear. Author: B. D. Daniel & Michael Weiss. Source: National Review v47 P50 O 9 1995 Breast Surgeries Experiencing High Inflation Rates. Author: Judith Messina. Source: Crain?s New York Business v18 no14 P4, 34 Ap 8-14 2002