Warning: Those Breast Implants Do Not Come With An Extended Warranty
Thinking about buying yourself some new boobs? You might want to make sure you can handle the after effects. The NYT informs that breast augmentation doesn't always involve a single surgery and there's no warranty on your boobs. In fact, one third of women who get breast implants end up having another surgery within four to five years.
Why?
...with such high rates of reoperation, a new debate is emerging over whether breast implants constitute the kind of annuity medicine that will entail regular surgical tuneups, exposing patients to increased medical risk and out-of-pocket expenses. At a time when manufacturers have provided the F.D.A. with clinical studies that follow patients for just a few years, there is no established medical consensus on how long implants last, leaving doctors to rely on their anecdotal experiences when discussing durability with patients.Eek. And then there's this:Given the lack of such data, critics said, women may not be prepared in the long term for the ordeal or financial burden of subsequent surgery.
Many women are aware that implants can break down over time, requiring replacement just like car tires.Car tires? Really? At least you don't have to get them rotated.
Do My Breast Implants Have a Warranty?[NYT]
(Photo:Amaranth Productions)
Post a comment
Comments:
Wow...exposure to anesthesia, potential scarring and malformation, AND I'll probably have to get "tune-up" surgeries?
You also say it's not covered by insurance or any kind of warranty???
HELLS YEAH. I wonder if my boss will let me off work this afternoon to go get me some new boobies. I can't see a downside.
You know... if they could install some Zerk fittings under the breasts, they could at least re-grease the implants without major surgery.
Or, instead of dangerous silicone, they could be filled with air... and you could install valve stems on the breasts... want them bigger? Just stop by a gas station, drop a quarter into the compressor..... make sure you keep a tire guage with you at all times!
@ad8bc: Yeah, I was wondering the same thing about Visa extending the warranty. But if they don't come with a warranty....
@PropCulture: well that doesnt really make sense since the product is essentially the same. either all of them need warranties or none of them. i dont think the reason should dictate a warranty.
@mantari: best laugh all day!
"within four to five years" <- Dept. of redundancy Dept.?
Are [0, 4] and [4, 5] all between [0, 5]? Yes.
So, why not, "within five years?"
@ad8bc: I think with the saline implants they have such a thing. It's not a standard feature, but I could have sworn that there's a stripper/porn star that has a little valve where she can add/subtract water to/from her implants.
First of all, both Mentor and Allergan (the 2 major manufacturers in the US) offer a LIFETIME warranty that pays for the IMPLANTS (not the surgery, but the implant(s))if they EVER rupture. I'm a plastic surgeon, and every patient (at least of mine) is well informed before they get this (or any) operation. The numbers are deceptively high (at least from my 10-year career) with regard to revisions, but everyone is told of the risks. The revision numbers are definitely higher for reconstruction (after cancer) surgery. If you don't want "foreign bodies" inserted in you, definitely do not have the surgery. If you do not mind, consider the risks/benefits and decide for yourself.













In before "CHARGEBACK!!!"