Friday, August 23, 2013

Can Faulty Implants Cause Breast Cancer?

A breast implant is a medical prosthesis that is used to enhance the size of the breasts. People often use breast implants, to re create the look and feel of their breasts, after undergoing mastectomy due to cancer or cancer markers. Some people have breast implants inserted to correct deformities of the breast. Quite often, people have breast implants to increase the size of their breasts for cosmetic reasons. People who have small breasts feel that an increase in breast size enhances their looks, as well as their self esteem. It is a very popular surgery in our country. Here are some statistics for plastic surgery involving breast implants in the United States of America.
‘Every year the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) publishes annual cosmetic surgery statistics from the year before. The numbers released on Tuesday, March 12th reveal that breast augmentation is the most popular cosmetic surgery in the United States. In 2012, 0ver 330,000 women underwent this procedure. Of these patients, 72% chose silicone gel breast implants and 28% selected saline-filled implants. The number of women choosing silicone has skyrocketed since the FDA lifted the moratorium on these implants in November, 2006.’(courtesy-Huffingtonpost)

Types of breast implants 

There are three kinds of breast implants:
Saline – this implant has an elastomer shell made of silicon which is filled with a sterile saline solution.
Silicone – this shell is filled with viscous silicone gel
Composite – the composite shell are filled with miscellaneous fillers, such as soy oil, polypropylene string, etc
Faulty breast implants
There has been a recent health scare incident involving defective breast implants, and researchers and doctors are taking a closer look at breast implants and the components that go into making them. Breast implants that were checked were found to contain harmful substances. There has always been doubt on whether breast implants caused cancer as women were inserting artificial objects in their body. The risk of side effects due to faulty breast implants has also come under scrutiny. But, it has been found that as long as the breast implants used were of good quality, the side effects have been minimal.

What are the results of faulty breast implants? 

Cancer is not the only scare with faulty breast implants. If the implants are defective they could rupture within the breast. They could lose shape and contort the shape of the breast. They can cause infection inside the mammary glands. Some bodies may reject the breast implants as they are alien to the body giving rise to allergies, infections and other side effects. Sometimes, the inserts may not rupture, but instead start leaking. It may take days before there is any outward symptom of the leak and the damage could be high.
Some steps that can be taken to ensure that you have a safe implant
Any kind of surgery in which a foreign body is inserted into yours is cause for concern, until you are sure that your body is not rejecting it. If you have decided to go in for a breast enlargement surgery make sure:
· That you have researched the subject thoroughly and are aware of all the  
  things that can go wrong during and immediately after surgery

· Make sure that you know all the right questions to ask of your physician and 
  surgeon

· Take a second opinion. It is always wise.

· Make sure that you get a well known and experienced doctor

· Choose an implant after doing a thorough research and with the advice of 
  your doctor

· Make sure that you go for reviews and mammograms regularly, once you 
  have had your enhancement done


Doing your homework before going in for a breast enhancement is very important.

Reference: 


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