The Good and the Bad of Breast Implants

A breast implant is a prosthesis (an artificial extension that replaces a missing body part) used to enlarge the size of a woman's breasts (known as breast augmentation, breast enlargement, mammoplasty enlargement, augmentation mammoplasty or the common slang term boob job) for cosmetic reasons; to reconstruct the breast (eg. after a mastectomy; or to correct genetic deformities), or as an aspect of male-to-female sex reassignment surgery.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation is the most commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedure in the United States. In 2006, 329,000 breast augmentation procedures were performed in the U.S. Breast implants give you more control over your size, shape, and profile. Implant plastic surgery can improve appearance after aging and childbearing and can restore a more youthful appearance. But there is always good and bad with everything, especially with cosmetic surgery.

Among celebrity breast implantation is very common to enhance their beauty and look much more sexy! The famous on this long list are Nicole Richie, Britney Spears, Pamela Anderson and Avril Lavigne.

I also think Victoria Beckham and Rihanna have had it done, as well as Tara Reid, but hers went wrong.

Her plastic surgery remained a rumour until Tara Reid was humiliated by a wardrobe malfunction. At P.Diddy's birthday party her dress fell, exposing her left breast. AS the photos show scar tissue was visible around Tara's nipple. She said: "I mean, everyone does it. I don't know why I'm the one who gets so much attention?" Well maybe the exposure of your nipple did it! It just shows you, that even stars that pay a lot of money to get it done can have things go wrong, so think before you get it done and go to someone reputable. Remember to also ask the names and contacts of past clients so you can contact them and see if they were happy with the surgeon and the results. You can never do enough research. Here is a pic of it, ouch!

There are two primary types of breast implants they differ in material and consistency:

Saline-filled implants: Saline-filled breast implants consist of a silicone shell that's filled with saline during implant surgery, after the shell has been inserted and is in place. Saline, isn't compressible and gives a more firm impression. An advantage of saline breast implants is that, if ruptured, the saline (salt solution) is dissolved by the body.

A disadvantage is that saline implants are more likely to show ripples in the implant, or the implant itself may appear less natural in small-breasted or re constructive patients. This is especially important for very thin women who have little breast tissue to cover the implant, or for women who have a breast injury or need breast reconstruction. The small ripples in the implant may be more likely to show through the skin in these women.

Silicone-gel-filled implants: Silicone gel implants also consist of a silicone outer shell, but they're pre-filled with a silicone gel rather than saline. Silicone gel has a viscosity - a thick, sticky fluid consistency - that closely mimics human fat, which is a large component of female breast tissue.

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, surveys in 2005 showed that 83.4 percent of respondents used saline and 16.6 percent used the silicone implant. In November 2006 the FDA lifted restrictions, and approved the use of silicone breast implants for women who are at least 22 years old. There have been other studies to show that silicone implants are safe, and the FDA has approved them for breast augmentation.

Process: Breast implants are placed in the breast in one of three different ways:

• Subglandular implant placement
• Partial submuscular implant placement
• Complete submuscular implant placement

These placements vary from shallow (subglandular) to deep (complete submuscular). The optimum implant location depends on the size of the breast implants, your anatomy, and other factors related to your goals and expectations. Implants are inserted behind the breast tissue or above the breast muscle through incisions carefully placed by the surgeon. Because breast augmentation is performed for aesthetic reasons, the incisions are made in locations designed to be as inconspicuous as possible after surgery. Four main types of incisions are used for breast augmentation surgery.

Areola (periareolar incision or nipple incision) Transaxillary (transax or armpit incision) Crease (inframammary fold incision) Belly-button (transumbilical, navel, or TUBA incision)

Risk factors: Both saline-filled and silicone gel-filled breast implants have risks:

• Breast implants aren't lifelong devices: Odds are you'll eventually need additional surgery to replace or remove your breast implants. Every woman's experience is different, but on average, breast implants last about 10 years before they need removal or replacement due to leakage or cosmetic issues. The operation to exchange old implants for new ones is relatively straightforward and requires less recovery time than does the initial surgery. According to the FDA and medical literature, there were reports of 58 breast implant ruptures during mammography from 1992 to 2002. Technicians must take special care to ensure that excessive pressure is not placed on the breasts.

• Breast implants change more than just the size of your breasts: Over time, the presence of implants may alter the shape and feel of your breast, sometimes requiring additional surgery, which may include implant replacement. In addition, if you decide one day to have your implants removed, your breasts won't go back to their pre-implant appearance.

• Scar tissue that hardens around and distorts the breast implant (capsular contracture)
• Breast pain
• Loss of Sensation: After breast surgery, some implant patients experience loss of sensation in the nipple and breast area. Loss of sensation results from damage to nerve endings in the breast and nipple. The loss of sensation is often temporary, but it can be permanent. The surgical technique can play a role in this complication. Your surgeon can determine the most appropriate implant and surgical technique to minimize loss of sensation. Read more about the breast sensitivity side effect.
• Infection
• Breast implants may interfere with breast cancer screening. Although implants can make physical detection of lumps easier, they also may complicate routine mammography to screen for breast cancer. Additional images offering special views of your breast are often necessary. The images may also be harder to interpret because cancers can be obscured by the implant itself. You might have to visit a specialized facility experienced in mammography for women with breast implants. Your doctor might also recommend additional imaging tests - such as ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - to check for signs of breast cancer, and insurance may not cover these additional tests.
• Breast implants may hamper breast-feeding. You may experience decreased milk production, or you may not produce any milk at all.

So, l think you really need to think about having this done, and weighing out all the good with the bad, read up on it as much as you can and also about the surgen doing the operation, because remember once it is done, you will never be the same again. So take your time to decide and make the decision that is right for you!

Important Books for you to read:

1. Breast Implants: An Information Update by Food and Drug Administration, United States
2.  Safety of Silicone Breast Implants by Stuart Bondurant, Virginia L. Ernster, Roger Herdman, Institute of Medicine (U.S.). 
3. Breast Implants: Everything You Need to Know by Nancy Bruning
4.  Breast Implants: Bibliography-in-brief by Karen L. Alderson
5.  The Truth About Breast Implants by Randolph H. Guthrie, Doug M. Podolsky

(Sources: Consumer guide to plastic surgery,Love your look)