Breast Implants: An Overview of History and Purpose
By some accounts, as many as 300,000 breast augmentation surgeries are performed in the U.S. annually. . Breast cancer reconstructions are often covered by insurance, whereas purely cosmetic surgeries tend not to be.
The predecessors of modern breast implants made of saline or silicone were originally developed in the early 1960s. Implants are used in breast augmentation or mammoplasty surgeries to replace breast tissue that has been removed in mastectomies,
to increase or match the size of a woman's breasts or to assist in gender reassignment surgery for transgender women. By some accounts, as many as 300,000 breast augmentation surgeries are performed in the U.S. annually.
Breast augmentation surgeries cost between $3,000 and $12,000, and are usually not covered by health insurance if they are not performed in relation to a medical problem. Breast cancer reconstructions are often covered by insurance, whereas purely cosmetic surgeries tend not to be. The surgery to insert breast implants takes between 1 and 3 hours and requires some recovery, but patients usually do not have to stay in the hospital or plastic surgery theater overnight. A full recovery can take several weeks, and it can take even longer for a patient to adjust to the new balance of weight on her torso. Early breast implants were unreliable and prone to breakage and hardening, but as the technology advanced, they became safer and more popular. In the 1970s and 1980s, the silicone breast implant was continually improved in France, but there were restrictions on importation to the U.S. due to concerns with safety, and most breast used in the U.S. through the 1980s were of the saline variety. Saline implants could be inserted through fewer and small incisions than silicone implants, so the surgery was considered less complicated. However, in the 1990s the later generations of silicone breast implants that have very little evidence of filler leakage came into more widespread use. The most modern silicone implants are considered safe because of the low risk of leakage, which can lead to scar tissue in a breast if not corrected. For a period of time, implants were manufactured with fillers like soy, but this type is no longer made.
People choose breast implants for a variety of reasons. Some women choose breast augmentation for cosmetic reasons, because they are self-conscious about the size of their breasts, or because their breasts are different sizes. Many women find that they have increased confidence and self-esteem after getting breast implants. Some breast cancer survivors choose to have their breasts reconstructed after mastectomies necessary to treat cancer. Finally, among transgender women (those who were assigned as male at birth), breast reconstruction can be part of a gender reassignment surgery. Breast implants are a good option for those who want to regain their pre-cancer body or change the body that they have always disliked.
