Are Breast Implants "Absolutely Safe?"
In 2007, the dollars spent on breast augmentation surgery in the United States was $1.5 billion. By 2012, the numbers are projected to top 2 billion per year. Statistics from The American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that breast augmentation headed the list of surgical procedures in 2008. For those women who have had mastectomies, implants will be presented as a standard part of the recovery process.
Carol Ciancutti-Leyva, director of the documentary “Absolutely Safe,” is the daughter of a cancer survivor. Her mother’s journey, from a double mastectomy to silicone implants in the early 70s – which resulted in chronic illness, formed the impetus for the film.
The documentary came out in 2007, after a ten-year struggle for funding. It is currently being booked for screenings on college campuses and is being used in classrooms devoted to women’s studies, bioethics, and public policy.
Currently, Ciancutti-Leyva is working to create strategic partnerships to mobilize an “Informed Consent” campaign about the use of breast implant devices.
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I have seen this film and it is powerful! To say that these implants are "absolutley safe" or even to say that they are "safe" is a farce! Women are suffering - all for the sake of so-called beauty, without considering the "absolute risks" with this procedure. There are so many alternatives rather than mutilating bodies. The FDA should take an OBJECTIVE look without the influence of the companies and doctors making huge profits from implants.
Take it from someone who has been through 16 years of severe illness. I was implanted in 1984 at 24 years of age to fit with what society pounded into me about appearance. In 10 years both implants ruptured and oozed continuously from my breasts. There is not enough time nor do I have the strength at 49 years of age ( how sad is that) to list my health issues. If this is "absolutely safe" well there is no exuse for those who will not listen to those who were not told thr truth when we were told 25 years ago it would take a crushed chest to rupture the implants and after 10 years and no crushed chest, having a surgery that removed not only the pathetic devices called safe but also what little breast I had as well as the entire skeletal muscle in the area soaked in silicone and after 16 years of following Dow Corning deadlines (as they still make millions with scrubbing bubbles and spray and wash) the lying cowards have yet to pay a medical bill. As for absolutely safe, I will NEVER play russian roulette with my health again and I would not trust any of them. I have nothing to gain but protecting someone from the hell I have gone through they have Everything to gain financially. You decide. I would not purchase their products either.
Even if the stories of these women are 1 in 100 or even 1 in 500 cases, I agree with the last poster that we shouldn't play Russian roulette with our bodies. Even if breast implants are "relatively safe," why take the chance on a medical procedure that is absolutely unnecessary? As a 121 lb 22 year old with a C cup, even I feel the pressures of our media to alter my body, and this is completely uncalled for. Nowadays, plastic surgery advertisements have made their way to my local newspapers and radio--and I live in rural Ohio.
In truth, women are never going to be satisfied with their bodies as long as they keep feeding us the lie that we shouldn't be.
---shala
Breast implants come in many sizes and shapes. The type of breast implant that you choose for surgery should be based on your desired change in profile and cleavage
Breast Implants
"Even if the stories of these women are 1 in 100 or even 1 in 500 cases"
Well, it's been exhaustively demonstrated that this is not the case in studies including many hundreds of thousands of women. This has been confirmed around the world. There is not and never has been any connection to systemic disease demonstrated in the literature.