[sci.med] Breast Implants

steimle@zeus.unl.edu (09/24/89)

I'm not really sure that these are the appropriate newsgroups to post
this in, but they seemed more so than any other.  Anyway, a close friend
of mine is considering getting implants and cosmetic surgery, and I'd like
to know of any complications, regrets, health problems, etc. that are
associated with it.  It seems that she is trying to solve a sexuality
problem in an extreme way...

Thanks to all that reply.

Scott.

jay@cso.UUCP (Jay D'Lugin) (09/26/89)

In article <3499.251b8a3e@zeus.unl.edu> steimle@zeus.unl.edu writes:
> Anyway, a close friend
>of mine is considering getting implants and cosmetic surgery, and I'd like
>to know of any complications, regrets, health problems, etc. that are
>associated with it.  It seems that she is trying to solve a sexuality
>problem in an extreme way...

As a radiologist-to-be, I'm especially concerned about early breast cancer
detection with mammography.  Most breast implants reduce the sensitivity
of a screening mammogram pretty significantly.   The rather dense
material used (usu. silicone) obscures subtle fibrocycstic changes and micro-
calcifications, which can be early warnings of breast cancer.

Manufacturers of implants are working on more radiolucent materials, but I'm
not sure if they have been approved for general use yet.

-- 
Jay D'Lugin      jay@cso.UUCP  or  {pacbell|mcnc}!gladys!rbdc!cso!jay  or  
                 jay@fozzie.wustl.edu
The Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University
"J'en ai marre."