The Top 10 Myths About Getting A Boob Job in Trends Asia Magazine

Trends Asia Magazine Jan 2009 issue features the 10 misconceptions of breast augmentation. Please click on the image to read it as it appeared in the magazine, or read the translation in English below.

Misconceptions of Breast Enlargement

The physicians at Toronto Cosmetic Clinic have been performing breast augmentation surgery for years. From barely noticeable to over-the-top (quite literally, sometimes!), the clinic has provided hundreds of women with the opportunity to Experience the Beauty of Change™ .

Silicone or saline, transaxiliary or periareolar, and submuscular or subglandular, when it comes to breast augmentation, it's safe to say that the physicians and staff at TCC know a thing or two about the procedure. Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformation out there, and it's time that you know the truth about the most popular body contouring procedure for women in North America – breast augmentation.

Here are the top 10 myths that the patient consultant at Toronto Cosmetic Clinic has heard over and over again.

10. You can't go scuba diving or fly in airplanes when you have breast implants...NOT!
If this were true, how would all of the celebs who've gotten a boob job travel to premieres, parties and appearances?

The question is really what happens to an implant in an area of high or low atmospheric pressure. A number of experiments to test these situations have been performed. At high altitudes the implants expanded, but it occurs at too high an altitude for a person to live and the expansion is not enough to cause it to explode. Therefore, there is no risk of a breast implant exploding inside a living person. The reverse has also been tested for scuba diving, and no examples of implants exploding or breaking have been noted.

9. Breast implants wreak havoc on your immune system...NOT!
When your body detects something foreign in your system, such as a virus or bacterium, it responds by kicking your immune system into high gear. However, once again the folks at the Institute of Medicine have dispelled this myth by finding no evidence to suggest that this happens to women with breast implants. They also didn't find evidence linking implants to any autoimmune or connective tissue disorder.

8. Breastfeeding with implants isn't safe...NOT!
There's no evidence that suggests silicone breast implants leak into breast milk, and even if it did, it probably wouldn't be considered harmful to your baby. Physicians agree that since breast milk is the best thing you can feed your baby, women with breast implants are highly recommended to breastfeed if they're able to do so.

7. Silicone breast implants cause diseases....NOT!
For a few years, silicone filled implants were banned for public use by the FDA and Health Canada. In 1992, use was restricted to patients in clinical trials of breast reconstruction after cancer surgery. FDA Commissioner David Kessler stated that silicone implants were not banned because they had been found dangerous, but because the manufacturers had not proven them to be safe. One of the first studies performed was by the Mayo Clinic, a non-profit medical organization devoted to diagnosis and treatment of illnesses. They found no association between breast implants and twelve connective tissue diseases. Several other epidemiologic studies also failed to find a connection. Finally, in November 2006, after over a decade of research, the restriction was lifted when the FDA concluded that silicone implants were not associated with any underlying diseases, declaring them equally as safe as saline.

6. A woman’s life was saved by her breast implants...TRUE!
Yup. An Israeli woman’s breast implants saved her life when she was wounded in a Hezbollah rocket attack during Israel’s war with the Lebanese group. Doctors found shrapnel embedded in the silicone implants, just inches from the 24-year-old’s heart. Her breast implants actually saved her!

5. Grave robber’s find silicone bags in caskets...TRUE!
Disintegration of the tissues of the body will occur much faster than the silicone in breast implants. Future societies will probably find many artificial objects in caskets, including metal pacemakers, ceramic hip joints, Gortex arteries and a myriad of small items such as surgical staples, screws and nails. Wonder what they'll think?

4. Breast implants increase the risk of breast cancer...NOT!
TCC's patient consultant has heard this one time and time again. Women with breast implants, no matter if they're silicone or saline, do not have a higher chance of getting breast cancer. A committee at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found evidence that breast implants don’t cause breast cancer or the recurrence of breast cancer.

However, sometimes subglandular placement can make routine screening for breast cancer more difficult. That's why it's imperative that you tell your physician and all those involved with your screening about your breast implants.

3. Breast implants make your breasts permanently numb...NOT!

While you heal, there may be some numbness in breast skin since nerves may be under pressure from swelling. However, sensation generally returns once swelling subsides. In fact, implants can actually make some areas of your breasts more sensitive to sensation.

2.They need to be replaced every 10 years...NOT!

Breast implants aren't guaranteed for life. Some people think that their lifespan is a decade, but there is actually no way to tell exactly how long a specific breast implant will last. It can last for 5 years, or even 20 years. Nobody knows.

Many women undergo subsequent breast augmentation not because they have to replace a damaged implant, but to change their size or contour to something they currently prefer.

1.Breast implants don't feel natural...NOT!

Manufacturers know that one of the most important features of a breast implant is how closely it feels like the real thing. The new wave of breast implants that physicians use are silicone cohesive gel implants, more commonly known as “gummi bear” implants because they feel like, well, a gummi bear. They aren't overly firm, as was the case with older types. While they may not feel EXACTLY like a real breast, they sure do come close!

If you're worried about hard breasts after breast augmentation, you should be more concerned about the buildup of scar tissue around an implant. Capsular contracture is the immune system's abnormal response to foreign materials that enter the body. It's basically a high amount of hardened scar tissue that forms around the implant. This is what causes that unnatural hard feeling most of us have erroneously associated with breast implants.

You can help prevent capsular contracture by performing the massaging exercises recommended by your physician during recovery or you may require another surgical procedure to correct the problem. Some believe that submuscular placement and textured implants can reduce the risk.

Know the facts before you decide. Check out www.tcclinic.com for more information about breast augmentation or call Toronto Cosmetic Clinic at 416-221-5554 to book your free consultation with a knowledgeable medical professional. Toronto Cosmetic Clinic is located at 5400 Yonge Street, just a couple blocks south of Finch.

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