The guidance was issued after the French Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons discovered the PIP breast implants contain an illegal, untested silicone gel substance that makes the implants abnormally susceptible to rupture.

Unlike women with the faulty PIP breast implants, women who undergo breast enlargement with the safe, FDA-approved silicone breast implants used in the U.S. have a choice about when and how to address implant malfunction in the unlikely event of a rupture.

Rupture in saline breast implants tends to be obvious, as deflation and noticeable volume loss will occur in the implants.  However, in silicone gel breast implants, ruptures are not as obvious and an MRI is required for detection. 

When ruptured breast implants do not cause problems with breast appearance or health, occasionally women will choose to forego revision surgery, however most pursue corrective surgery. 

Options for corrective surgery include:

• Breast augmentation revision, or breast implant exchange
• Breast explant surgery, or breast implant removal
• Breast implant exchange or removal with breast lift, or mastopexy

Most women opt for breast augmentation revision to exchange ruptured implants for new ones, while others choose breast explant surgery, or breast implant removal, and do not have the ruptured implants replaced.  

When breast implants are removed and are not replaced, a breast lift may be recommended to remove the extra skin stretched by the breast implants.  A breast lift with augmentation revision may also be recommended if the breasts have begun to sag since the initial breast augmentation surgery.

If you experience a breast implant rupture, don’t panic, as there is no immediate health risk with FDA-approved implants.  Consult a highly qualified cosmetic surgeon with significant experience performing corrective breast surgery.  Once you have discussed all possible options, you and your surgeon can decide whether breast implant exchange or removal, with or without breast lift surgery, is best for you.

1. Does the surgeon have an extensive background and training specific for breast augmentation, and does he/she possess the versatility required to offer you multiple options?

Because some skills overlap, you might find different surgeons doing the same procedure. You might find an ENT surgeon or an oral surgeon performing rhinoplasty. Breast augmentation however, is very specific to plastic and cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgeons perform breast augmentation as a primary part of their surgical residency, and should therefore have a greater aptitude to offer a variety of techniques to meet your needs.

2. Who administers anesthesia during the breast augmentation surgery?

Anesthesia is considered safe with a trained practitioner, but in the wrong hands it can pose a pretty serious risk. Whoever administers anesthesia for you should be well trained, prepared for unexpected problems, and focused on your safety.

3. Who will guide you through surgery and oversee your recovery?

Although your cosmetic surgeon should be accessible and responsible for you, it is very common for the supporting staff to oversee much of the operation and assist patients through the process. Doing this is vital to both the success of the surgery and to the overall experience. Read more about our talented staff in Owensboro.

4. Does your surgeon have privileges at a local hospital?

To perform breast augmentation at a hospital, the surgeon must prove or demonstrate a record of training for that field. If surgery isn’t done in a hospital, it will likely be in an outpatient surgical suite or surgery center.

5. Is the surgical facility accredited and safe?

To receive proper accreditation in a surgical facility specific standards must be met. Our Owensboro facility is the only office-based surgery center in the region specializing in cosmetic surgery that is fully accredited by the AAAHC.  Ask us why this is advantageous for our patients!

In some patients, the ability to breastfeed is disrupted by a past breast augmentation.  Usually, this is associated with the periareolar incision (around the lower half of the nipple).  To minimize your risk, a surgeon might recommend other incision sites such as the armpit, breast crease, or navel.

While breast Implant placement below the pectoralis muscle may also be recommended, even with subglandular placement, breast feeding is not necessarily compromised.

Regarding infant safety, research studies haven’t found any measurable risks.  In the late 90s, a study was published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery showing that women with silicone breast implants carry no higher levels of silicone (silicon) in their breast milk than women without implants.  It isn’t known what effect would occur if a small amount of silicone were to pass through to the infant.

If you still have concerns, speak to Dr. Edds or your OB/GYN.  Whether you plan to become pregnant or not, it is best to understand all of the possible breast augmentation risks before proceeding with surgery.

This so-called ‘Botax’  or ‘vanity tax’ is being contested in a few different ways, but here are the two common arguments being reiterated:

Would it be gender discrimination?

The tax would be paid almost entirely by women.  Despite the growing popularity of cosmetic procedures for men, women still make up over 90 percent of the patient demographic in the United States.  Obviously, imposing a tax such as the one in question would unfairly discriminate against women.  Think about it this way: would a tax be imposed on men who purchase expensive tattoos, fashionable clothing, or bodybuilding equipment?  It doesn’t seem likely.

Would it affect the rich or the middle class?

There’s a common misconception that’s probably at work here; it’s that “only the rich and famous pursue cosmetic surgery.”  Experience in the industry will show you otherwise.  A 2004 survey conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons revealed that nearly “a third of people considering plastic surgery reported average household incomes below $30,000.”

Recall this New York Times piece by Natasha Singer titled “Who Is the Real Face of Plastic Surgery?”  Ms. Singer discusses the fact that a large number of patients choose to finance their cosmetic surgeries, just as they would a new car.

341,144 liposuctions were done in 2008, while breast augmentations numbered a surprising 355,671 during the same time period. “For the first time in the twelve years these statistics have been collected, liposuction is a runner up in popularity to breast augmentation”, said ASPS President Alan Gold.

Dr. Gold theorizes: “Changes in fashion, i.e. décolletage baring styles, might be a factor in bringing about this change. This turnabout will generate discussions in the medical community and the public at large”, he predicts.

We’re curious about what our readers think. Is this change surprising? Is it an obvious result of “changes in fashion”?