25 Reasons Not to Get Breast Implants

Last week the FDA reported that breast implants put women's lives in danger. The big news last week was that a small number of women can get a very rare type of cancer (ALCL: anaplastic large cell lymphoma). It confirmed that death is a possible side effect of breast implants.

But what no one is talking about are all the other more frequent, more common and very real dangers and problems that go along with breast implants. Does the FDA really believe that if we don't kill too many women it's acceptable to disfigure them and compromise women's health in other less lethal ways?

According to Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D., Elizabeth Nagelin-Anderson, M.A.
and Elizabeth Santoro, R.N., M.P.H.:

In 2008, more than 300,000 women and teenagers underwent surgery to have their breasts enlarged with silicone or saline implants, and almost 80,000 breast cancer patients had reconstruction after mastectomy, often with implants. The popularity of breast augmentation has more than tripled since 1997, when there were just over 101,000 of these procedures. More than 40,000 implant removal procedures were also reported in 2008.

Take a look at the list below and decide if you would let someone you love take these risks with their health ... just to have a bigger boobs ... What price are women willing to pay? Why are women so unhappy with their breasts? Do we really think we will be loved more if we have a bigger bra size? Maybe men could let us know how lovely small breasts really are. Hey guys ... step up to and save some women's lives. Tell us we are beautiful and you love us with any size breasts and that you would rather have us healthy than sick, alive, not dead.

Now I agree, a breast cancer survivor is justified in wanting her disfigured body restored to symmetry and wholeness. But does she really want to risk another cancer and more surgeries? And what about healthy women who go under the knife willingly?

Stop, take a breath and understand the real risks and the possible complications. Get educated. Get smart. Look before you leap.

Here is what can happen to you with breast implants excerpted from What You Need to Know About Breast Implants published by the National Research Center for Women and Families. This publication also has a long list of research and references to support the following statements:

Complications Of Breast Surgery And Silicone And Saline Breast Implants include:

• infection (bacteria and mold which can be released from the implant into the body)
• surgical risks
• anesthesia risks
• chronic breast pain,
• breast or nipple numbness
• capsular contracture
• scar tissue
• hardened and misshapen breasts
• breakage and leakage
• necrosis (skin death)
• need for additional surgery to deal with problems
• dissatisfaction with how the breast looks
• disfigurement
• arthritis and joint pain
• fatigue
• memory loss
• cognitive impairment: poor concentration
• metal poisoning due to platinum exposure (in silicone implants)
• silicone migration into lymph nodes and other organs
• debilitating autoimmne disease such as fibromyalgia,dermatomyositis, polymyositis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, mixed connective-tissue disease, pulmonary fibrosis, eosinophilic fasciitis, and polymyalgia.
• And last but not least, death

Additionally, it is harder to breastfeed (if at all), and harder to detect breast cancer. Conscientious women having regular breast cancer screenings have had their implants rupture from the pressure of a mammogram.

Within the first three years, approximately three out of four reconstruction (breast cancer) patients and almost half of first-time augmentation patients experienced at least one local complication -- such as pain, infection, hardening, or the need for additional surgery.

All breast implants will eventually break, but it is not known how many years the breast implants that are currently on the market will last. Studies of silicone breast implants suggest that most implants last 7-12 years, but some break during the first few months or years, while others last more than 15 years.

In a study conducted by FDA scientists, most women had at least one broken implant within 11 years, and the likelihood of rupture increases every year. Silicone-7 migrated outside of the breast capsule for 21 percent of the women, even though most women were unaware that this had happened.

Don't forget the financial burden and increased health insurance costs that go with multiple surgeries and medical complications. In some cases the surgery to remove implants can be like a mastectomy, complete removal of the breast tissue and sometimes the muscle underneath.

Additionally, quality of life is greatly compromised if you have chronic health problems as a result of complications from implants.

Take Home Lesson One: There are serious life threatening and life altering short term and long term health, cosmetic and economic risks associated with breast implants.

Take Home Lesson Two: Consider loving the body Mother Nature gave you rather than playing Russian Roulette with your health and your life.

The FDA has a consumer handbook with descriptions of common complications as well as photographs.

For a less scholarly and much more disturbing discussion complete with photos
48 Reasons Not to Get A Boob Job.

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Comments

[rightandwrong]

02:49 PM on 02/08/2011

enjoyable article. My wife is in her 40's and she is thinking of getting bigger breasts. Unrelated to this all these same arguements could be made for not having an abortion. There are medical risks, mental issues i know first hand because my wife had two abortions in her 20's and it haunts her still today, the arguement to allow abortion is that it is a womans body, yet some people look down on that same woman for wanting to change her body.

[yakmeat]

11:39 AM on 02/08/2011

I find it sadly ironic that a procedure that is supposed to make an aesthetic improvement usually results in aesthetic detraction. Seriously, girls - they just don't look good at all, not to mention the potential health risks. Leave the software alone.

[rowdiman]

10:07 PM on 02/07/2011

It is an unnecessary risk for teenagers and those simply wanting to look like they think they should look according to the media.

Having said that, women recovering from breast cancer surgery should be able to do what they want without being frowned upon. Who is closer to thinking about their own death than a cancer patient?

Properly researched Board Certified Surgeons, understanding all of the risks and opting for saline implants are all important factors in considering breast augmentation.

Educating young women to be comfortable with their own bodies should be an important goal in approaching why some women feel this surgery would make them "complete".

[Jacob Kindt]

06:49 PM on 02/07/2011

Hmm.. Wonder why the lack of pictures... its not fair to leave the whole counter argument out of the article.

[Cheryl Ledwidge]

07:54 PM on 02/04/2011

Women are constantly being bombarded with a media's image of the perfect woman. The one who can wear a 44 DD breast and 00 waist. There are a lot of complications from any operation. When marketing and advertising start using real women and not anorexic barbie dolls maybe women will stop putting their life endangered for the perfect frame.
This should be a priority to read before anyone goes under the knife.
Thank you for sharing and reminding me for not getting my boobs done.

[KellyL]

12:58 PM on 02/04/2011

Thank you for posting this. I have four friends who have had breast implants in the past year. They all had, relatively speaking, "small" breasts. I asked all of them why they got implants; they said I wouldn't understand because I'm naturally blessed. However, they all still feel insecure. They still all feel "not good enough". Three of them are in their twenties; one is in her early thirties. None of them were happy with their bodies before and I do not understand why they thought a surgical 'enhancement' would make things better. You have to truly love yourself, outside and in, before you do anything so drastic as to go under the knife. Look at Kanye West's mom; may she rest in peace.
There's more to life than plastic, silicone, and "looking" good. You have to accept YOU for who you are!
And as Sir Mix a Lot said.... 'cause silicone parts were made for toys!

[Rebecca Reynolds]

08:33 PM on 02/03/2011

Thanks for sharing this. This message needs to be broadcast widely. Just as we are looking at the media as a factor in contributing to the poor body image of young people, perhaps our visual culture has influenced some people to feel that their normal breasts are not adequate. It is quite sad to realize how common this procedure is and that young people (and older ones, too) die in pursuit of superficial qualities.

[Nalini Chilkov]

10:37 AM on 02/03/2011

Thanks for quoting our work!

Every week we hear from women who are being harmed by breast implants (often because the implants are leaking) who thank us for finally providing them with the information they need to figure out what to do. (Their plastic surgeons tend to tell them that implants are perfectly safe and couldn’t possibly be responsible for their symptoms.) Our goal is for women to find us BEFORE they get the implants, rather than years later. We reach some who are still deciding, but not enough. So, thanks so much for publicizing our free information. By the way, we provide free personal responses to questions about breast implants (for cancer or augmentation) at [e-mail]

Diana

Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D.
President
National Research Center for Women & Families
Cancer Prevention and Treatment Fund
1001 Connnecticut Ave., NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20036
202 223-4000
www.center4research.org
www.stopcancerfund.org

[RichardBaxterMD]

11:26 AM on 02/03/2011

Unfortunately you make the mistake of substituting anecdotal stories for scientific evidence, which came to define the "junk science" underlying the implant scare in the 1990's. It is frankly insulting to plastic surgeons, who are physicians dedicated to patient care, to dismiss them as being cavalier about implant safety. Even the premise of Dr. Chilkiv's article "the FDA reported that breast implants put women's lives in danger" is factually incorrect; it was a call for monitoring about a possible but extremely rare condition. Fear mongering is not a facet of good patient care.

[muhair]

10:00 PM on 02/07/2011

Two out of four of my sisters have breast implants. Two out of four have had cancer. Those two. Yes, a small sample, but one had a rare T-cell lymphoma -- don't know if it's the same noted above -- and yet had new implants installed when they went in to scrape out her cancerous cells..... The other has hashimoto's and was treated for early stage papillary thyroid cancer.

[Irene Rubaum-Keller]

08:36 PM on 02/02/2011

Hi Nalini, Great post. Here was mine on the subject from awhile ago http://www.huffingtonpost.com/irene-rubaumkeller-/breast-implants-yes-or-no_b_265774.html. It's not from the health perspective as much as yours but more style related. We know intuitively that it's not a good thing to do to your body. Keep up the great work!

[Nalini Chilkov]

10:40 AM on 02/03/2011

Thank you. Your post is a great companion piece to this one..widening the conversation in an intelligent manner!

[ZenRuby]

05:25 PM on 02/02/2011

Coming from a medical family, I am all too familiar with the practice of medicine. When I was a teenager, I went through the all-too-common 'crisis of confidence' about my body. Specifically, I felt like a freak for having small breast when all the other women in my family were quite voluptuous. I decided to save up money to get breast implants. However, that all changed the day I watched a news report about a woman whose implants ruptured, When the doctors opened her up, they had to 'scrape' the walls of her chest cavity to clean out the silicone. This took several operations, and she was left very scarred, both physically and emotionally. I decided that I would find a way to be happy with my small breasts.

Although this article focuses on the negative, I do not consider it "alarmist". I think it once again highlights the dangers of unnecessary surgery and gives women some food for thought before they allow themselves to be cut open simply for the sake of vanity. I know the percentage of patients who suffer through these dangers may not be in the majority, but they are significant. And no matter what the statistics may say, if it happens to you, then the statistics don't matter at all.

[Nalini Chilkov]

07:43 PM on 02/02/2011

Thank you. My wish is that women be well informed and understand the risks and benefits of all healthcare and medical decisions and choices.

[nancynancy]

12:01 PM on 02/02/2011

I think this article is unduly alarmist. I had saline implants inserted immediately following a prophylactic mastectomy to prevent cancer. That was over 16 years ago, and I have never had a problem with the implants.

In addition, I am very tired of reading articles that criticize women for having surgery to improve their appearance. When it comes down to it, Dr. Chilkov, what I or any other woman chooses to do with her body is really not your business.

[Nalini Chilkov]

07:45 PM on 02/02/2011

As a health care provider it is very much my business to help women make informed decisions and to consider HEALTH which includes body image. All health choices are ultimately personal, individual and intimate. There is no one right choice. Each person must weigh the risks and benefits. Yes, it is true not all breast implant surgeries have complications. You are one of the lucky ones.

[agustinlegido]

11:28 AM on 02/02/2011

I read in Findrxonline to get breast implants is something very silly because it puts at risk the health of women to increase their chances to get breast cancer. My sister put these implants and today fights cancer mamacon nla chemotherapy and hydrocodone that alleviates your pain.

[nancynancy]

12:12 PM on 02/02/2011

I'm sorry your sister has cancer, but there is no reason for you to believe that her illness was caused by the implants.

[RichardBaxterMD]

11:01 AM on 02/02/2011

This is more of the same inflammatory misinformation that we saw 20 years ago. The condition that MAY have a SLIGHT association with a specific type of implant is not ALCL, it just looks like it microscopically but behaves in a more benign fashion. It is also extremely rare; you are probably more likely to be struck by lightning. Breast implants are not associated with an increased risk of autoimmune disease. And as for the quality of life issue, the net effect is very squarely on the positive side.

[Nalini Chilkov]

07:49 PM on 02/02/2011

If you are a woman who is not in the statistical bell curve, then your story may be one of complications. Statistics are not about individuals. Statistics are averages of groups of women. When I am talking to a patient I am concerned with her unique needs, her health, her motivations and risks. As for patients, they want their doctor to focus on them and help them make the best decision that is congruent with her values and beliefs based on information. Taking time to make important decisions that include risks is wise.

[Poetic]

09:07 AM on 02/02/2011

Plastic surgery carries risks. Duh. Lots of stuff carries risks that people accept for a desired outcome. I say, accept women how they are -- even if they want bigger, or in most cases, just plain better looking breasts.

[Moderationinall]

02:48 AM on 02/02/2011

The article offer some legitimate concerns about breast augmentation surgery, but diminishes the value of the advice by including several associations not supported by the existing medical research, especially "auto-immune disease" (btw fibromyalgia is NOT an auto-immune disease). Ms. Chilkov, OMD is about 15 years behind on the research. I thought I would be reading an article thoughtfully explaining why a woman should carefully consider the risks of breast augmentation ... oh well