Essay, Research Paper: The Side Effects Of Breast Implants

In the 1970’s women began to look for different options other than padding their bra to get a more voluptuous look. The 70’s were an age of a new form of cosmetic surgery called breast implants. These implants became a popular alternative to padding. Serious side effects can result in implants and women should be well aware of these health risks before making a final decision.
When you first look into breast implants they appear rather harmless, just a new way to gain fuller breasts. Implants are constructed out of silicone and oxygen, which are used for many other purposes and found to be highly resistant to bacteria.
So why would anyone not want breast implants? What people did not pay attention to were the long-term effects. A few years after breast implants were introduced, side effects began to appear. Many health risks arise when simply going through the surgical process. During the procedure, infection, hematoma, hemorrhaging, thrombosis, and skin necrosis may occur. These surgical side effects alone are one reason for dismissing any thoughts about getting breast implants. From the day the surgery is through, a woman is continuously putting herself at risk with implants. The long-term effects of breast implants are hardening of the breast, leakage or rupture, temporary or permanent change or loss of sensation in the nipple or breast tissue, formation of calcium deposits, unnatural looking breast shape due to shifting, and the inability to have an accurate mammogram resulting in many diagnoses’ of breast cancer. When silicone leaks out of the breast area and into your system it travels throughout the body causing serious infections. The dangerous part about all of this is that you can have leakage with or without discomfort. Therefore you could grow ill over a long period of time without a known cause. Two more risks of breast implants are autoimmune diseases, which cause joint swelling and flu like symptoms, and fibrosis. These are also very severe health disorders that can be problematic.
Beast implants are a very dangerous health hazard. It is necessary for more women to be educated about the effects of this surgery. They need to be fully aware of the dangers of such a procedure. The risks and possible side effects of breast implants must be made available to any woman who is looking into having the procedure done. The health hazards must not be ignored. They should be taken seriously and addressed with swift action before it is to late. Educational programs must be made to further the awareness of the risks of silicone breasts. The social benefits of breast implants are not worth a woman’s well being. No woman should have to experience the diseases that can result from breast implants simply to meet the society’s “perfect mold”.


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