How Safe Are Breast Implants?

For over one hundred years, breast augmentation has been used to modify the shape, size and feel of a woman's breast. In the last three decades, more than 1.5 million women have undergone the surgery. Yet there is still not consensus on the long-term safety of breast implants. As with any significant medical procedure, the question of the safety of breast implants has often been debated in American courts. Some considered the silicone gel implant to be dangerous, particularly when the implant ruptured. This could lead to pain and is comfort, but the long-term health problems of this complication are unclear.

A judge or jury deciding such cases should, ideally, deliberate on two important questions. First, does existing research in respected medical journals support or refute the dangers of breast implants? Second, if knowledgeable people disagree on the weight of the evidence, which experts represent the most persuasive argument in the eyes of the court? Scientific evidence must also overcome the hurdle of causation. While statistical evidence can show a connection between two events, is it reasonable to assume that one causes the other? For example, if women with breast implants are shown to develop breast cancer, can it be assumed that the implants were the cause of the cancer, or is there some other factor present with these women which causes the cancer? Statistical evidence is sometimes unable to make the causation connection. Breast implants and cancer might both be a consequence of an unrelated item, such as some aspect of the personality of a woman who chooses to undergo a breast implant procedure.

The second question may be even more difficult In a well-financed court case both the plaintiffs and the defendants will produce credible witnesses to support their claims. Despite the education level of judges, it is the rare barrister who can sort through complex scientific and mathematical arguments and ascertain the truth. The challenge is even greater for a jury of citizens, few of whom are likely to have the educational background needed to sort hard science from less supportable claims. As flawed as the legal system is, however, the adversarial atmosphere of court cases remain one of the best methods our society has for exploring the many facets of difficult legal assertions in the medical field. Any medical procedure comes with risks, and breast implants are no exception. Courts will have their say, but in the end it will be the women themselves who will have to make the decision if the benefits outweigh the risks.