The graphic’s information is based on research made available by the National Institute of Health (NIH), American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), RealSelf.com, and the United States Census. It charts the sharp increase in breast implants between 2000 and 2010, delineates the amount of money spent on breast implants in 2010—more than $2 billion—and demonstrates what a large portion of breast augmentations are performed in the Western states of the U.S.

“Any plastic surgeon can tell you that breast augmentation has only become more popular with the years,” said Dr. Brown, “and most who live here on the left coast won’t be surprised to see that more than one third of them are performed in the West. Patients come to California from every corner of the U.S. to get their breast implants—we have a reputation for excellence here.”

In addition to presenting the basic numbers involved with breast augmentation in the United States, “Swimming in Breast Implants” explores the demographics of the women who are seeking out breast augmentation—including age, reasons for pursuing the procedure, and satisfaction with the results. The infographic shows that the highest percentage of women, 36 percent, get implants between the age of 30 and 39, and that the overwhelming majority—90 percent—get them after having children. Satisfaction with the procedure is also high: 79 percent of patients say they’re happy with their results.

“There’s a reason that breast augmentation has been the number one cosmetic surgery—not just here in the U.S., but worldwide—for so long now,” said Dr. Brown. “As the high rate of patient satisfaction shows, this is a procedure that works. I hope this infographic serves as a helpful reference going forward, not only for other plastic surgeons, but for patients as well.”

According to People magazine, comedian Wanda Sykes underwent breast cancer surgery in August after cancer was discovered as a result of her breast reduction surgery earlier this year.

During a September episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Sykes told DeGeneres that when breast tissue that had been removed during her surgery was routinely sent to the laboratory, ductal carcinoma in situ was detected.

“We have been carefully watching the literature over the years linking macromastia to breast cancer,” Dr. Stevens said. “In addition to the obvious problems big breasts bring, such as back strain, bra straps cutting into the shoulders and difficulty exercising, cancer is seen more often in women with large breasts. Ms. Sykes’ experience is a classic example of the difficulty in diagnosing cancer in large-breasted women.”

Dr. Stevens did not treat Ms. Sykes, but he has had experience with similar cases.

“In addition, we find that women with large breasts are also very self-conscious about them. We have done many breasts reductions, and the women are overwhelmingly thrilled with the freedom of a smaller breast size,” Dr. Stevens says.

The risk of breast cancer should be a reason for large-breasted women to consider reduction surgery, said Dr. Stevens, founder of Marina Plastic Surgery.

“There have been multiple studies to compare breast cancer rates after breast reduction surgery. Statistics do show a decrease in breast cancer incidence in the breast reduction group,” Dr. Stevens says. “Certainly, there are other risk factors for breast cancer, so we support an all-out assault on the disease by looking for all factors.”

Risk factors include:

•     Alcohol use
•     Diet. Plant-based diets tend to be safer than meat-based ones.
•     Early menses and/or late menopause
•     Family history
•     No children or later child birth
•     Genetics
•     Hormones
•     Obesity
•     Age. The risk increases as women age.

Research has shown that immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy improves psychological well-being and quality of life and provides women with improved body image and self-esteem compared with delaying the procedure.

However, data from this study, presented by Dawn Hershman, M.D., associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, indicate that only about one third of women undergo the procedure.

Hershman and colleagues identified 106,988 women with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy between 2000 and 2010. They identified these women using insurance codes and then examined data on the frequency of reconstruction by a number of factors including age, race, number of procedures performed in the hospital and type of insurance.

Of the women examined, 22.6 percent underwent immediate reconstruction. Although overall rates of reconstruction have increased since 2000, the greatest increases were seen among women with commercial insurance — from 25.3 percent to 54.6 percent — and among women aged younger than 50 years — from 29 percent to 60 percent. Among women aged 50 years or younger who also had commercial insurance, 67.5 percent underwent immediate breast reconstruction. Overall, women with commercial insurance had more than a threefold higher likelihood of undergoing immediate reconstruction compared with women without health insurance.

“We were surprised to see that although the use of immediate postmastectomy reconstruction has increased, the rates still remain low, with 41.8 percent of women aged younger than 50 years and less than 20 percent of women aged older than 50 years receiving reconstruction during this time frame,” Hershman said.

Researchers found that patients were more likely to undergo immediate reconstruction if their surgeon did more mastectomies or they were in a hospital where more mastectomies were performed.

“This is something that could be modified by training and patient education,” Hershman said.

Other factors associated with a decreased likelihood for undergoing mastectomy were increasing age, black race, rural hospital location, nonteaching hospital or having other medical illnesses.

Women who underwent immediate breast reconstruction postmastectomy did have a longer hospital stay, but in-hospital complication rates were similar between women who had reconstruction and those who did not.

“Our study shows that there are factors that can be modified to increase the likelihood that women undergo postmastectomy reconstruction,” Hershman said. “Public policy should ensure that access to reconstructive surgery is available to all women regardless of insurance status.”

In the future, Hershman and colleagues plan to explore other factors that may be associated with immediate reconstruction to better target interventions to appropriate institutions.

“The INSPIRA® range speaks to Allergan’s commitment to science-based innovation in the medical aesthetics category,” says Stu Fowler, President & General Manager, Allergan Canada. “Allergan has been a leader in this space for over two decades and we continue to assess, as well as respond to the needs of plastic surgeons using our products, and the needs of Canadian women interested in breast augmentation.”

Recent findings from the National Plastic Surgery Survey of 300 Canadian women, between the ages of 22 and 59, suggest that 87 per cent of women would like to change at least one part of their body.¹  Of the parts identified, breasts are the second leading feature that women would like to change after the stomach.²  In fact, 13 per cent of Canadian women have considered or are currently considering breast implant surgery, with women between the ages of 22 and 34 being seven times more likely to entertain the option of the procedure as compared to their older counterparts.³

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation is the number one requested plastic surgery procedure in the United States.⁴  In addition, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery estimates that breast augmentation accounts for roughly 20 per cent of all cosmetic surgical procedures performed in the United States with over 60 per cent of these using gel-filled implants.⁵

“Breast augmentation surgery has grown in popularity since silicone gel-filled breast implants first came to market in Canada,” says Dr. Julie Khanna, one of Canada’s leading cosmetic plastic surgeons and author of the book, Timeless Beauty.  “Surgeons are  looking for implant options that provide the best, individualized custom fit for their patients.  A woman’s relationship with her breasts is quite personal, so options like the INSPIRA® range are an important development for plastic surgeons today because they allow us to offer a more natural looking, tailored result.”

The INSPIRA® range offers over 300 next generation round, smooth and textured breast implant options, and has been available to patients outside Canada since 2006.^6,7

According to the National Plastic Surgery Survey, Canadian women cite improvement in self-esteem (34 per cent) as one of the key motivating factors to undergo a plastic surgery procedure.⁸ Forty-eight per cent say that whether the surgery will look natural impacts their decision to pursue the procedure.⁹

Silicone gel-filled breast implants were approved for use in breast augmentation, reconstruction and revision surgery in Canada in 2006.¹⁰ Following this milestone, Allergan launched the NATRELLE® Collection in 2007 as the country’s first recognizable brand name for Allergan’s wide range of high-quality gel-filled and saline-filled breast implants for Canadian women seeking this type of surgery.

Women looking for more information about the NATRELLE® Collection and INSPIRA® range or to find a qualified, board-certified plastic surgeon are encouraged to visit www.NATRELLE.ca.

Dr. Donald W Kress, a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at the Milton S Hershey Medical Center and Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in Frederick, Maryland has been working with a custom designed ultrasound unit to treat patients with capsular contracture. He recently presented a summary of his research at the American Society of Plastic Surgery’s annual meeting in Denver, Colorado.

His study showed that ultrasound treatments twice a week for 3-4 weeks combined with a home massage program improved at least one of the symptoms for 72% of the patients and that 52% of the patients were completely satisfied with their results. Without treatment, the choices would have been to “live with it” or costly additional surgery (Aesthetic Plast Surg, 2011).

Increasingly, Plastic Surgeons around the world are coming to believe that a type of infection known as a Biofilm causes most cases of capsular contracture (Aesthetic Plast Surg, 404-408). Current research from Australia and the USA also support this. A Biofilm infection differs from a traditional infection since it can be initiated by a very small number of relatively benign bacteria when a foreign body (such as a breast implant) is present (Plast Recontruct Surg, 835-42). Bacteria living in a biofilm have the ability to resist traditional antibiotics and hide from the body’s immune system. It is theorized that ultrasound works because, in additional to it’s traditional role of softening and modifying scar tissue, it makes the bacteria in the biofilm more vulnerable to the body’s immune system (Aesthetic Plast Surg, 80-93).

Dr. Kress commented, “It isn’t a perfect solution, but I am very happy to be able to offer women with this problem a non-surgical solution which works over 50% of the time.” “The final solution will probably be implantable devices which have the ability to resist the biofilm formation, but that is still a long ways away.”

The Ultrasound device was developed by Tim Weyant of Aspen Rehab Technologies of Coral Springs, Florida.

The study from ASAPS shows patients nationwide preferred silicone breast implants in 62% of the breast augmentation procedures performed in the U. S. in 2010. As his patients consider breast augmentation in Santa Barbara, Dr. Buchanan says the most commonly addressed concern in pre-operative consultations is the choice between saline and silicone implants. However, Dr. Buchanan adds that his patients tend to prefer silicone implants at approximately the same rate as defined in the ASAPS study, adding that patients often believe silicone implants look and feel more like natural breast tissue.

Despite the numerous and comprehensive studies conducted by the FDA that have verified the safety of silicone breast implants, speculation continues to surface. However, Dr. Buchanan says silicone breast implants have never been safer for use in breast augmentation thanks to the use of an innovative silicone gel, which acts more like a solid than a liquid. “The newer gel implants have been studied extensively, and are now considered the best implants available. I often tell our patients that if my wife or daughter needed an implant I would definitely choose silicone gel.”

Brava System - The Brava is a soft, gel-like bra that attaches directly to the breast, an external breast tissue expander. It applies low but continuous suction to the breast area over several weeks. The patient wears it at night while sleeping. It is not painful.

Two important factors make Brava unique. First, its ability to create an adequate vascular matrix into which the liposuctioned fat is later injected. This is important because without the adequate matrix the transferred fat would not survive. And second, the expansion of tissues and nerves increases blood flow to the mastectomy area. This allows the patient to keep almost normal sensation in her breasts and nipples. Plus they look and feel normal.

Liposuction - The procedure extracts your fat through liposuction. These micro-fat grafts are harvested by gentle liposuction from the patient’s belly, thighs, and buttocks — wherever there is fat to spare. Using only injections, the fat is meticulously injected back into the breast site that has been enlarged by the Brava expansion. There is no cutting, no new scars, no implants.

Minimally Invasive - Patients who worry about another major surgery don’t have to. Dr. Khouri’s technique is performed as an outpatient procedure. The patient goes home the same day. Women who were hesitant about breast reconstruction after mastectomy are attracted to this procedure because of the lower risks, faster recovery, and natural results.

Two for One Deal - Who hasn’t thought of the possibility of taking a little fat from here and putting it there? The liposuction required to harvest the fat will be a bonus to the patient’s overall body contour.

The breast cancer journey is an emotional one. Women want to feel whole again and reclaim what is theirs. Thanks to science, there are a few options. But frankly, most of the popular options don’t look or feel natural.

Here’s what a 32-year-old cancer victim had to say after having Dr. Khouri’s procedure, “It reminds me of when I was a teenager, watching my breasts grow — and it’s my own breast.”

This innovative procedure is the very first that facilitates reconstruction of an ENTIRE breast from fat without major surgery.

Dr. Khouri has done clinical studies to prove the safety and efficacy of his procedure and has presented these studies at all the important medical conferences across the globe, including the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Convention. He conducts fat grafting courses where he trains plastic surgeons from around the world on his innovative breast techniques. The procedure is covered by insurance for breast cancer patients.

Designed specifically for breast mastectomies, lumpectomies, sentinel node biopsies and reconstruction procedures, the system integrates the company’s proprietary Eigr™ (pronounced eye-gr) illumination technology into an optimized retractor to enable surgeons to improve visualization of anatomic structures during these procedures. The system includes a family of different retractors designed for various surgical approaches, including reconstructive surgeries.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 2.5 million women in the United States are breast cancer survivors; many chose surgery to remove the cancer. Operating in the breast provides unique challenges for specialists, especially in less invasive surgeries. As breast cancer surgery incisions become smaller, Invuity’s illuminated breast retractor system helps surgeons to better visualize delicate structures. Surgeons can use the Invuity breast retractor system whether they are working on a lumpectomy or a mastectomy to enhance visualization and bring illumination inside the incision. The ability to see is critical, particularly in skin and nipple-sparing mastectomies.

“As a breast cancer surgeon for more than 30 years, I have closely followed the advances in surgical techniques with respect to breast conservation surgery,” said Dr. Stephen DeSantis, chairman, department of surgery, Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, Calif. “Invuity’s Eigr technology enables me to perform advanced breast procedures with remarkable visualization. This is truly an enabling technology that will be greatly appreciated by dedicated breast surgeons and plastic surgeons.”

Eigr technology utilizes unique optical structures to control light output to a targeted operative space. By directing light from multiple angles and efficiently managing light across a broad output surface, Eigr virtually eliminates shadows, back reflection, glare and thermal effects such as overheating. Invuity’s Eigr breast retractor system is also ergonomically designed so that surgeons have greater comfort and maneuverability.

“Invuity’s Eigr breast retractor system is the result of close collaboration with breast cancer surgeons to understand their need to visualize structures better during less invasive procedures,” said Philip Sawyer, chief executive officer of Invuity. “As a result, Invuity provides critical tools to aid in these procedures.”

Last year, Invuity closed $15.6 million in Series C funding designed to support the commercial launch of multiple new product introductions and general operating expenses. The funding was led by InterWest Partners and current investor Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers also participated.

Invuity works closely with surgeons from leading institutions to determine which surgical procedures can best benefit from improved visualization. The result of this collaborative approach to product development is a suite of products that integrate Eigr technology and address procedures in a variety of surgical specialties including spine, orthopedics, head and neck and oncology.

The event is free and open to breast cancer patients, their family and friends. The workshops will be held on the following dates and times:Monday, October 10, from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pmLocation: Gilda’s Club South Jersey, 700 New Road, Linwood, NJ 08221-1237Wednesday, October 12, from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pmLocation: Cancer Support Community Northern Jersey Shore, Victoria Commons, 613 Hope Road, Eatontown, NJ  07724Thursday, October 13, from 5:30 pm – 8:30 pmLocation: Steeplechase Cancer Center, 30 Rehill Avenue, Somerville, NJ 08876According to a recent CSC survey of 762 women with breast cancer who were eligible for breast reconstruction, 43 percent of patients do not receive information about reconstruction options when making treatment decisions at diagnosis.“We are pleased to be part of the Frankly Speaking About Breast Reconstruction program to provide information on reconstruction options,” said Ellen Levine, program director, The Wellness Community of Central New Jersey.

“The Cancer Support Community here in New Jersey is an integral part of the breast cancer treatment process, providing support services and emotional health to facilitate other medical and surgical treatments.”Workshop attendees will receive an educational booklet, hear from a board certified plastic surgeon, and will have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with a panel of breast cancer survivors.

“The Frankly Speaking About Breast Reconstruction program offers a comprehensive overview of the impact of breast cancer and the various options available for reconstruction,” said Matthew Kaufman, M.D., board certified plastic surgeon, The Plastic Surgery Center of New Jersey. “There is also special attention paid to the decision making process that women undergo when contemplating this choice. By educating people affected by cancer, programs like these offer empowerment, support and hope.”

via Breast Reconstruction Workshops to be featured at Frankly Speaking about Cancer Events – Open Access Healthcare.

“If a woman believes that breastfeeding will adversely affect her breast appearance, she decreases her chances of successful breastfeeding,” said Norma Cruz, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study author. “This misconception is unfortunate. Reassuring women that breastfeeding won’t harm their breast appearance, and that it has significant health advantages for both mother and baby is vitally important.”

The study followed the breastfeeding habits of 160 breast augmentation patients.  A period of two weeks or more of exclusive breastfeeding was the defining duration of a “successful” breastfeeding attempt.  Women who were successful or unsuccessful at breastfeeding were extremely similar in demographics such as age, body mass, implant size and incision location. The only significant difference between the two groups was the perceived effect breastfeeding would have on the appearance of their breasts. Among the 63 women who successfully breastfed, only 13 percent believed it would have an adverse effect on the aesthetic quality of their breasts. Conversely, in the group of 97 women who were unsuccessful, 86 percent believed breastfeeding would have a negative impact on the appearance of their breasts.

“It makes sense that breast augmentation patients would be concerned about the effect breastfeeding could have on the appearance of their breasts. After all, these women have invested both time and money into them,” said Dr. Cruz. “However, available evidence tells us that although breasts sag more with each pregnancy, breastfeeding doesn’t seem to worsen these effects in women with or without breast implants.”

According to the WomensHealth.gov, a project of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health, breastfeeding improves both a mother and child’s overall health. For mothers, breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of type two diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and post-partum depression. In newborns, breastfeeding helps build their immune systems, fight diseases and build a stronger connection between mother and child.

“Now that we know breast augmentation patients’ views on how breastfeeding will impact the look of their breasts, patient education becomes critical to improving perceptions and strengthening the health and lives of both mother and child,” said Dr. Cruz.

The study, “The Perceived Effect of Breastfeeding on Breast Aesthetics: Does it Affect Breastfeeding Success in Women with Breast Augmentation,” is being presented in electronic format, September 24-26, at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.