Medicine: Women Find Breast Surgery Attractive Again
Nearly six years after the Food and Drug Administration banned silicone breast-implants, breast-augmentation is back.</br></br>In just the past two years, the number of breast-implant procedures has soared nearly 40%, according to a member survey by the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. Some surgeons credit a booming stock market, others the enduring popularity of the bosomy TV show "Baywatch." Whatever the cause, more than 120,000 women in this country last year went under the knife to increase the size of their breasts for cosmetic purposes, the society says.</br></br>At its peak around 1990, breast augmentation was the No. 1 form of cosmetic surgery, with about 125,000 to 150,000 procedures performed annually in the U.S., according to implant manufacturer Inamed Corp., of Las Vegas, one of two companies in the U.S. that still make breast implants. But then came questions about whether silicone implants might somehow trigger diseases such as lupus, arthritis or even cancer. In 1992, the year the FDA ban went into effect, the number of breast-implant procedures plummeted to 32,000.</br></br>Although silicone breast-implants are still banned for cosmetic purposes in the U.S., some of the safety concerns surrounding them have been put to rest. In fact, even in this country, silicone is used for penile and testicular implants. Still, plastic surgeons and implant makers are touting breast implants filled with saline-water as a safer, more natural and more comfortable alternative to silicone. Saline implants now are used in more than 90% of all breast-enlargement procedures.</br></br>It isn't as if saline-implant surgery is risk-free: Common complications can include deflation of the implant, hardening of the scar tissue around the breast, and decreased sensation of the breast. After surgery, there may be bleeding, pain and infection. There may also be complications from anesthesia, including death.