Breast implant surgery gaining in popularity

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http://www.badgerherald.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2002/10/11/3da637298b2c8

Breast implant surgery gaining popularity Typical patient is married mother, doctor says by Gordon, News ReporterOctober 11, 2002

The popularity of breast implants is rising across the country, including in Madison, according to Karol A. Gutowski, M.D., Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Wisconsin. Women are spending, on average, $6,000 to undergo the two-hour surgery. Yet, many patients may be forced to go under the knife again. According to Dr. Venkat K. Rao, M.D., a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in the cosmetic surgery division at UW, 40-50 percent of women need replacement or removal surgery at some point after the initial implantation surgery. Breast implants are not regarded as lifetime devices. Many risks are associated with breast-implant surgery. According to Dr. Larson, professor and chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, these risks can include bleeding, infection, alteration of nipple sensation and capsular contraction. Other problems can include difficulty with breastfeeding, the hinderance of cancer detection by mammogram, and health insurance complications. However, women are still opting for breast-implant surgery despite these risks. In fact, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation has now become the second most commonly performed cosmetic surgery procedure, second only to liposuction. Breast reconstruction and reduction surgeries have increased by 174 and 146 percent, respectively. "The two main reasons women undergo breast-implant surgery is because they are dissatisfied with their breasts, or for reconstructive purposes," Rao says. "The typical woman who comes to see me is happily married, has a couple of young children, is in her mid to late 20s and has always wanted larger breasts. She decides she wants it done for herself, and the typical husband could care less," Larson said. "The primary motivator for 94 percent of women who get breast augmentation is to improve the way they feel about themselves. Four percent want to follow trends, and two percent get them for their husbands or boyfriends." Dr. Gutowski said she has also found that most patients are "very satisfied" with their results. In 1992, the Food and Drug Administration restricted the use of silicone gel-filled implants after a lack of adequate data from the manufacturers on the safety of the implants. These silicone implants are now available only for reconstructive purposes after mastectomies. "The FDA has approved saline implants, which are comprised of a silicone shell filled with saline water," Rao said. Rupture of the implant will result in saline leakage, which is safer than silicone, into the body. According to Larson, most women who undergo surgery have thought about it for some time and arrive with plenty of information. Due to the seriousness of the operation, "it is important to go to someone who is fully trained and certified by the Board of Plastic Surgery," he said.