Breast Implants Essay Research Paper Breast Implants

Breast Implants Essay, Research Paper

Breast Implants

One of the first uses of silicone in a medical implant came in the form of

lifesaving tubes implanted into young children to funnel excess fluid from the

brain into the chest cavity, where the fluid could be safely metabolized and

excreted. Since these “shunts” were first used, in the late 1950s, silicone in

various forms has come to be an important part of many implants. “It is used in

tracheotomy tubes, in artificial lenses for the eye, in artificial heart valves

and in facial implants for birth defects or re-constructive surgery after

cancer” (Ames 1).

The most widely used implementation of silicone is through breast re-

constructive surgery through elective surgery of an individual, or re-

constructive surgery to replace breasts due to women recovering from

mastectomies from breast cancer or miscellaneous types of accidents.

The early history and use of implants showed no ill effects of the use

of paraffin or silicone. Because of this newly developed surgical process and

relatively little use of FDA guidelines there was no comprehensive testing done

to ensure the utmost safety of a silicone recipient.

By this time the millions of women throughout the world who already had

Dow’s silicone prosthesis implanted into their breasts had no idea of the

dramatic health risks. Because of these potential health risks, women should

avoid the use of breast implants.

In 1976, Congress gave the FDA authority to regulate breast

implants. By this time breast implants had been in use for a

significant amount of time and were considered “grandfathered.”

This means that they were allowed to remain on the market, even though they

have not gone through stringent testing. The FDA felt there was no evidence to

substantiate that the implants were harmful. Furthermore Congress also gave the

FDA the power to go back and require manufactures to provide proof that the

implants were indeed safe and effective, if it was felt that there was a reason

to do so. (Bruning 7)

“In 1977, Richard Mithoff, a Houston attorney, wins the first lawsuit

for a Cleveland woman who claims that her ruptured implants and subsequent

operations had caused pain and suffering. She receives a $170,000 settlement

from Dow Corning. This case received little publicity” (Frontline 1).

Since this case received little attention women from all walks of life

still continued to seek out cosmetic surgery.

In 1982 the “FDA proposed to classify silicone breast implants into a

Class III category that would require manufacturers to prove their safety in

order to keep them on the market” (Frontline 2).

It wasn’t until 1990 that heavy media exposure began to unveil the

possible links between silicone breast implants and various types of toxic

disorders. Connie Chung of Face to Face of this same year confronted Dow

Corning executives who vehemently denied any link to toxic disease from their

silicone implants (Frontline 2).

For better or worse, we live in a society that puts great emphasis on

appearance. This preference apparently knows no boundaries. In the 1940’s,

“Japanese prostitutes had their breasts injected with substances such as

paraffin, sponges and non-medical grade silicone to enlarge their breasts,

believing that American servicemen favor women with large breasts” (Frontline 1)

this is the case today as-well.

During the 1960’s breast implants made a boom as women discover that

there rolls in the job market can be increased by the way they look. With the

help of the sexual revolution women also found it pleasing to create a better

them through breast enlargement. Not only was there a desire for women to seek

this type of elective surgery, but prosthetic medical use for breast implants

was increasing dramatically from women suffering from breast cancer.

Many women have conflicting images of their breasts. On the one hand,

breasts are symbols of beauty, sexuality, and nurturing; on the other, they are

troublesome organs that are increasingly likely to threaten women’s lives. In

the United States the likelihood that a woman will be found to have breast

cancer has slowly and inexorably mounted since the 1930s, when some systematic

data collection began. The increase in diagnoses, already a cause for concern,

accelerated in the 1980s, growing by a rate of four percent a year. This year,

according to the American Cancer Society, some 184,300 women will discover that

they have the disease; another 44,300 will die of it. Of the women in whom

cancer is diagnosed, 9,200 will not yet be forty–nearly twice the number of

women under forty who were found to have breast cancer in 1970. “The disease is

now the leading cause of death for American women aged forty to fifty-five, and

causes women to lose more years of productive life than

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