Enhanced Risk--newspaper article from April 7th, 2002

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Enhanced riskDespite problems, women still lining up for breast implantsBY JENNIFER WOOD

EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE (Mesa, AZ) http://www.aztrib.com/

There are a few things a girl can expect from a proper "Ladies Night" nightclub promotion: No cover charge, discounted drinks, people-watching and, of course, plenty of men. But a new pair of breasts?

Axis/Radius in sdale has teamed up with Dr. Marvin Borsand and the Desert Sculpting Center to offer breast-enhancement surgery giveaways at the club's popular Thursday night "Divas at Dusk." About 50 women enter the contest each week, with a winner announced every fourth week.

"It is a little strange, but I guess we can write it off as just another sign of the times," said Tempe resident Lentz recently as she entered the raffle. Lentz, 25, really hadn't planned on having the surgery, but said that if she won she would probably sign up within the next year.

According to a new report from The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, a record number of women - 216,754 - underwent breast-enhancement surgery in 2001. Deborah Sullivan, author of "Cosmetic Surgery: The Cutting Edge of Commercial Medicine in America" and sociology professor at Arizona State University, attributes society's interest in such procedures to "the plainness penalty." "From the moment of birth, more attractive babies are given more attention from their parents. We reward the beauty," she said. "It is not really a case where we have been coerced by the medical profession."

The preferential treatment finds its way into the professional world. A 2001 study conducted by the University of Central Florida in Orlando found that in an office setting men have more respect for women with a C-cup breast size than those with either smaller or larger sizes.

Ione of Mesa recently underwent breast-enhancement surgery to make her breasts look "better and fuller." Dr. Marvin Borsand, who performed the procedure, says women today are having the work done to satisfy themselves rather than please others. But are the rewards worth the risks?

In 1991, the Food & Drug Administration removed silicone-gel implants from the market because manufacturers were unable to submit satisfactory proof that the implants were safe. Before long, 9,000 women filed suit against silicone-gel implant manufacturer Dow Corning, claiming medical injury - a number that rose to 400,000 by 1995. Once heavy restrictions were placed on the use of silicone-gel implants in 1992 and media spotlight on the controversy dimmed, public interest waned. When the FDA approved saline-filled implants manufactured by Mentor Corporation and McGhan Medical in May 2000, the issue became less critical.

But questions linger. The bulk of the FDA-issued "Breast Implant Handbook" discusses risks associated with saline-filled implants such as rupture, infection and interference with mammography readings. FDA studies show that most implants break within 10 to 15 years; some break within a few months. And saline, although capable of absorption into the body, can carry bacteria or fungus, which in turn cause infection. According to the FDA, one in four patients has an implant removed within three years because of complications.

Still, many women opt to take the risk - and are happy with the results. "I'd gone through a divorce and I had been wanting them for years," said 43-year-old Mesa resident Ione . "It's a new beginning and it's a new me, and I'm going to do what I want for a change." After researching the subject, opted for saline-filled breast implants to reverse the changes that came with age and breast-feeding. "Many women who have kids do not want to accept the image they see in the mirror," said Borsand, 's cosmetic surgeon. On Feb. 15, the mother of two grown children underwent the procedure to make her breasts look "better and fuller." The implants increased her breast size from 34C to 34D. "The results are incredible," said . "It doesn't feel foreign or anything."

Borsand said 96 percent of his patients are pleased with the outcome. And according to studies conducted by implant manufacturers Mentor and McGhan, a majority of women who have saline-filled implants report being satisfied. Borsand said women are coming in "for themselves" as opposed to past years when pleasing others was the primary reason. "There's a very good reason for that," countered Sullivan. "If you read the women's magazines, that is one of the themes. That is how to be a good patient. They explicitly tell you, 'You have to do this for yourself.' "

Which is exactly what Patty Fausset did. In 1997, while living in Tucson, the 42-year-old had breast-enhancement surgery. She was thrilled with the results. Eight months later, however, she began to experience headaches and brain fogs. While researching her symptoms on the Internet, Fausset came across a support group for women with saline implants. "Dozens and dozens of women wrote me, and we were all suffering from the same things," said Fausset, who now lives in Nevada. She had her implants removed in 1998. Today, her health is getting back to normal. "It was the most horrible experience of my life. A lot of women just don't know how desperately ill you can be," she said. "I wouldn't want anyone that I love to go through what I did."

Fausset is among those who raised an eyebrow upon hearing breast implants were part of a nightclub lottery. "Serious surgery should not be given away as a door prize," said Dr. Zuckerman, executive director of the National Center for Policy Research for Women and Families. "It is a decision that will affect a woman for the rest of her life. If a woman cannot afford breast augmentation on her own, she will not be able to afford the proper care if something goes wrong."

In most cases, insurance does not pay for medical expenses associated with the implants. Dr. Pavese, who performs breast implant surgery out of his Tempe office, also questioned the ethical implications. A member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, he stressed the difference between plastic surgeons and cosmetic surgeons. "Our society views the drawing of random patients as unethical because you have not established a doctor-patient relationship with that person," he said. But he also defends the surgery's safety and attributes implants' negative rap to "a lot of bad press." "It is safe, effective, very popular and extremely powerful in terms of enhancing women's self-image," said Pavese. "One could question the superficiality of our society, but that's the way it is."Surgical stats55 percent of Americans approve of cosmetic surgery.Women had more than 7.4 million cosmetic procedures in 2001, or 88 percent of the total.Breast augmentation surgery costs an average of $3,257 and is the fourth most prevalent procedure performed by members of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.Women ages 19 to 34 account for 54.4 percent of those who opt for breast augmentation surgery.From 1997 to 2001, there was a 114 percent increase in the number of breast augmentation surgeries. Source: The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Tribune writer Wood can be reached by e-mail at jenwood@... or by calling (480) 898-6531.04/04/02 (photo)