Jo Ann Mathews
www.myrtlebeachonline.com
Posted on September 15,2005

Some women welcome implants

'My philosophy on cosmetic surgery is that nobody needs it. It's what you want.'

Dr. Kimberley Goh Grand Strand Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Center P.A.

About 35 years ago, Pat "Skip" Lindstrom was trapped in a house fire in Virginia that required her to have multiple skin grafts and plastic surgeries on her face, neck and arms.

Although the burns did not affect her chest, during the years-long procedure, her plastic surgeon suggested she have breast implants - and not for the extra money. He said he'd do it gratis.

"I was very flat," the Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., resident said. "I was p rob ably a triple A."

After some persuasion, she consented to getting implants.

"I never would have believed it," said Lindstrom, 63. "My clothes fit so much better. [The implants] gave me shape."

In 2001, Lindstrom had the original silicone gel implants removed because her gynecologist detected hardness where the implants were. She had the implants replaced with saline ones and is pleased with the results.

"I chose saline because the doctor thought it would be better for me because of how my skin had stretched," she said. "Saline was easier to get the proper shape."

Lindstrom has never had p rob lems with her implants, but a controversy arose in 1992 when women complained of side effects from ruptured or leaking silicone gel implants. The Food and Drug Administration imposed a moratorium on them for the general population.

Since 1992, women have continued to be able to get silicone gel implants under strict circumstances, among which are having had them before, like Lindstrom, or undergoing reconstructive surgery. No restriction was put on saline implants.

The controversy hasn't stopped women from requesting implants although the majority of them are saline. Breast augmentation is among the top five surgical procedures plastic surgeons perform on women.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that from 2000 to 2004, the number of women having breast augmentation increased by 24 percent. Further, with more than 264,000 performed in 2004, it was the second-most popular surgical cosmetic procedure for women after liposuction.

Figures from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that since 1997, surgical cosmetic procedures increased by 118 percent. In 2004, breast augmentation increased by 19 percent over 2003.

Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Kimberley Goh of Grand Strand Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Center P.A. in Myrtle Beach said the procedure is popular in her practice. The most frequent request is from women who have had a few children and whose breast size got smaller. Their ages usually range from late 20s to early 40s.

"They lost volume and want to look like they used to," Goh said.

She said she explains the advantages of implants to patients but wants the patient to make the final decision. Those who qualify for silicone gel implants are told that a leak is not obvious as it is in saline implants, which may go flat, but it isn't an emergency situation when they leak. Saline implants are easier to change. If they leak, the body absorbs the saline. If a woman's health changes, Goh said, it's easier to deal with saline implants.

"Implants don't last forever," Goh said. "Artificial devices wear out."

Lindstrom said the change with her silicone implants was gradual. "But I started to notice my breasts were misshapen and the skin was sagging."

Implants could last 10 years or longer. Cost of implants in Goh's practice start around $4,000, but each case is individual depending on several circumstances. Insurance policies have provisions for covering reconstructive surgery, but none includes cosmetic surgery.

Breast implants also are popular at Dunes Cosmetic Surgery LLC in Myrtle Beach, said Leigh Ann van den Wijngaard, cosmetic patient coordinator for board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ralph Cozart.

"It's one of the top two surgeries we do," she said, explaining that liposuction is the other popular surgery. "It's a very safe, very satisfactory surgery."

The basic-augmentation procedure is treated as outpatient surgery and generally lasts about 45 minutes. Costs start at $4,450, van den Wijngaard said.

Women seldom get implants just once in a lifetime, she said. Often young women at 18 want to have bigger breasts and have their first implants, but, as Goh said, implants do not last forever.

Sometimes women at 65 decide they want to change their breast size. No age limit exists, but reputable doctors, such as Goh and Cozart, discuss the procedure with their patients.

"We screen everybody both physically and mentally," van den Wijngaard said. "They must [have implants] for the right reasons."

Lindstrom recommends women follow their doctor's orders.

"The next day [after surgery], you can move around, but the anesthetic must wear off," she said.

"It was about five weeks before I could play golf. You are sore afterward. Give your body a chance to heal."

Women must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of getting breast implants, and Goh stresses that women make the decision, whether it's silicone gel or saline.

My philosophy on cosmetic surgery is that nobody needs it," Goh said. "It's what you want."