| Ilena Rose 2006-02-26, 5:59 pm |
| http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/elet.../7388/527#30360
Authors miss most important clue 14 March 2003
Ilena Rosenthal,
Director, Non Profit foundation
San Diego, CA 92109
Send response to journal:
Re: Authors miss most important clue
This study's authors miss the most important clue to the reasons a
disproportionately large number of women with breast implants choose
suicide.
Most breast implants fail over time, even though for decades they were
sold as a "lifetime" device.
With this extremely high rupture rate comes additional surgeries,
infections, and frequently the ultimate loss of the implant along with
breast tissue. Commonly, women suffer from the very painful
fibromyalgia and other often undefined diseases.
The denial of the medical profession as to their illnesses as well as
families experiencing their once healthy and vibrant mother, wife,
sister, or daughter now in chronic pain with no medical solution in
sight, leaves the women feeling more isolated and desperate.
She often then loses her job, her insurance, and the downward spiral
continues.
To ignore the enormous physical harm from ruptured implants and
drawing the fuzzy psychological conclusions the authors have, makes me
wonder about their open minded scientific approach to this growing
medical tragedy.
Ilena Rosenthal
Director, Humantics Foundation for Women
http://www.BreastImplantAwareness.org
FDA Rupture Studies
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/breastimpla...racapstudy.html
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/breastimpla...iinterview.html
Competing interests: Author: Breast Implants: The Myths, The Facts,
The Women Founder of Support group: Breast Implants: Recovery &
Discovery
Re: Breast Implants: hype and realities. 14 March 2003
Carolyn R. Wolf,
Retired
22152
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Re: Re: Breast Implants: hype and realities.
Perhaps one of the reasons for low self esteem might be a plastic
surgeon inorming you (after double mastectomies!) that "you don't have
to go through life looking like THIS". Those of us with no problems
with our self esteem started thinking something horrible was wrong
with us; then to be assured, and reassured, that the implants were/are
safe, and "no, you are not being used as a guinea pig." Which is
exactly what we were/are being used for.
When I found one breast collapsed (both implants were ruptured, but
only one scar tissue capsule had collapsed), three plastic surgeons
tried to "sell" me on replacements with saline filled implants-- only
they did not use the correct designation: silicone implants with
saline filling, rather than with silicone gel filling!!
This world needs a few doctors willing to emulate Raoul Westenberg
(remember him from World War II?)-- to try to find some answers to
this chemical poisoning that we have been subjected to..Worldwide,
there are millions of us..
Competing interests: Silicone implant survivor
Body Dysmorphic Disorder? 25 March 2003
Jordan Klesmer,
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine
North Shore university Hospital, 400 Community Drive, Manhasset, New
York 11030
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Re: Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
To Whom It May Concern,
Koot et. al. recently reported an increased risk of suicide amongst
patients who received cosmetic breast implants (1). The Somatoform
Disorder known as Body Dysmorphic Disorder involves a preoccupation
with a defect in appearance and the defect is either imagined, or, if
a slight physical defect is present, the patient's concern is markedly
excessive with subsequent impairment of social or occupational
functioning (2). The patient's distress may lead to suicidal ideation,
suicide attempts, and completed suicide (2,3). It has been estimated
that between 6% to 15% of cosmetic surgery and dermatology patients
suffer from this disorder (2).
Consequently, it behooves cosmetic surgeons to seek psychiatric
consultations preoperatively for the purpose of ruling out Body
Dysmorphic Disorder and have it treated if present. Perhaps only then
can the elevated suicide rate associated with breast implants be
diminished.
References
1.Koot VCM, Peters PHM, Granath F, Grobbee DE, and Nyren O. Total and
cause specific mortality among Swedish women with cosmetic breast
implants: prospective study. British Medical Journal. 326:527-528.
2.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth
edition, Text Revision. American Psychiatric Association. American
Psychiatric Press. Washington, D.C. 2000
3.Phillips KA, McElroy SL, Keck PE, Pope HG, Hudson JI. Body
Dysmorphic Disorder: 30 Cases of Imagined Ugliness. American Journal
of Psychiatry. 150:2 302-308.
Competing interests: None declared
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