Breast Implant Recalls in Europe

French plastic surgeon holding Poly
Implant Prosthese implants

Dear Dr. Danyo, my friend Rita said she was sent a news notification on her phone about silicone implants being banned in France. I didn't get a chance to read up but you did my sister’s breast augmentation and I’m pretty sure she has silicone implants. Should we be talking to you about having them taken out? Have you heard about this? Thanks.

Only if you had the surgery in Europe should you be concerned. It’s scary to hear stories of rupturing breast implants, but these silicone implants were distributed all over Europe by the French company, Poly Implant Prothèse. Fortunately for your sister, she had her breast augmentation done here at Danyo Plastic Surgery, so she can rest easy. All my breast implants are American-made and FDA approved. 

Here are the details though, if you were wondering.

The company mentioned above, Poly Implant Prothèse, is responsible for about 1,000 damaged silicone breast implants in French women and another 40,000 in British women. When the implants ruptured, factory grade silicone was leaked into the body, causing severe discomfort and the death of one young French woman. The French government is telling women with these implants (about 30,000 total) to get them removed. The Brits are considering this as well, even though it will cost their health system somewhere in the range of 1.2 million British Pounds to do it. Since your sister’s breast augmentation was done here at our Delaware plastic surgery practice, she is not at risk. Thanks for the great inquiry!

To your Health & Beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo

Finding the best bra after breast enhancements

Whether you like racy, lacy or plain, buying new bras after your breast enhancement procedure is supposed to be fun! Sadly, according to my wife and the women in my office, bra shopping is often not fun at all! Whether you have had a breast lift, breast reduction or breast implants here in our Delaware plastic surgeon’s office, wearing well-fitting bras afterwards is very important. Even if you haven’t had a breast enhancement, finding bras that fit correctly can be a challenge.

Wearing a poorly fitted bra can make you look older, because your breasts will sag. It’s true that breast sagging can indicate the need for a breast lift, but when wearing a properly fitted undergarment, your breasts should not sag.

Here are some indications that your bra doesn't fit well:

§  It hikes up in the back.

§  You’re often tightening the straps but it still doesn’t fit.

§  When you bend over, your breasts fall out of the bra and when you’re standing, your breasts don’t fit well in the cups.

§  Your bra bags in the nipple area or it squeezes your breasts too tightly.

§  You see red marks, irritation and/or rashes on your skin after wearing the bra.

Bra Sizing Tip #1:

Bra sizes can vary a great deal from one brand to the next. There is no standard 34B, 36C or any other size for that matter. A 36C in a Lady Madonna bra may not be the same size as a 36C in a Bali bra.

Measuring “band size” is the first step in finding your correct bra size:

The band size of a bra is the number part of the size. In a 38C, the number 38 stands for a band size of 38”. In European bras, band size is measured in centimeters and in the US it’s measured in inches. To identify your band size, take a measuring tape and measure around your ribcage, making sure the tape doesn’t ride up or down in the back—it should be even all the way around. Measure right under the breasts, around the ribcage. Write down that number.

Now that you have your rib measurement, do the following:

·       Add 4” if your rib measurement was an even number, like 36 or 38

·       Add 5” if your rib measurement was an odd number, like 33 or 35, etc.  

·       Example: If your measurement was 36”, add 4” and your band size is a 40. If you measured 27”, add 5” and your bra size is a 32.

Note: Your band size doesn’t change after breast augmentation, lift or reduction because your rib measurements remain the same.

How to determine your correct cup size

Using the same measuring tape as before, measure over the fullest part of your chest and around your back, making sure the tape is level all the way around. Next, subtract your band size from your bust-size measurement. Ex: if your final band size is 34” but the measurement around the bust is 37”, you are likely to be a 34C according to the chart below.

Use this chart to determine cup size by subtracting the band size from the bust size. The difference in inches will reveal your cup size.

If you used this method but you still experience sagging, you probably need a larger cup size than shown on the chart. If the cups are loose, however, try going to a cup size one letter smaller, and see how if that works. Sometimes you need a little trial and error. Although your bra should fit snugly, it shouldn't be too tight when you fasten the bra with the hooks closest to the bra itself, ie, away from the end of the tab. That way, when it stretches with wear you can still fasten it and enjoy that garment longer. Remember, once you find a great-fitting bra, you might do well to buy only that brand, choosing other styles from their line to suit your mood and garments. As previously said, a 34B in a Goddess brand is a 34B across all of the Goddess styles, but a 34B in a Bali bra may be another size altogether.

Bra Strap Basics

Bra straps should not ever be uncomfortable. If they dig into your shoulders or leave your skin red, they’re too tight. Bra straps aren’t intended to be the main support for your breasts. The bra itself, including the cups, should be the main support, not the straps.

More Tips Bra Care

After all the time you spent finding the right size bra, be sure to hand wash and line dry your bras. If you must machine wash your bras, fasten them before washing and put inside a mesh bag. Don’t put bras into the dryer—it will loosen the elastic and the bra will wear out faster.

We hope you have found this blog post helpful! 

To your health and wellness,

Dr. Joe Danyo 

Surprise! Tax Dollars Paid For Cosmetic Surgery, Spa Visits

The European Parliament

A copy of the most recent Practical Guide to the Reimbursement of Medical Expenses was recently leaked to European media and then to the public, revealing that almost £3 million of taxpayer monies will be spent in 2011 by members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for luxury items such as spa visits and cosmetic surgery!

The European Parliament has 736 members. The members, as well as their families, have already been reimbursed for cosmetic surgery, anti-aging products & treatments, massages and private spa visits, sometimes at 100% of expenses for these non-essentials.  Further, sons and husbands of MEPs have also received free Viagra, although it was claimed Viagra was given only to men whose impotence was a result of injury.  Right now, along with the rest of the globe, Europe is in a state of fiscal austerity, making these costs that much more unacceptable to the public.

Up until about 2004, American military servicemen and women received free cosmetic surgery. The reason for doing so was that military plastic surgeons were thought able to better develop their skills in reconstruction when they were allowed to also perform cosmetic procedures, ie, surgery on healthy, uninjured people. This policy was scrapped after CNN released a story about the practice. The result is that service personnel now can get cosmetic surgery at their military hospitals at a discount. Unfortunately, that means that plastic surgeons training under military hospital supervision perform fewer cosmetic cases than in the past, giving them less experience than those who went before them under the old arrangement.

To my blog readers: Do you think military personnel received free cosmetic surgery in order to train military plastic surgeons or do you think that was just a ruse so that members of the military received more percs? Share your views!

To your health & beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo

Is International Surgery Worth the Risk?

Because we’re living in a cost-conscious time, we want the best value for our dollar, whether it’s a purchase of Tide or cosmetic surgery. However, there’s a huge difference between the two. A box of Tide is the same box no matter where you purchase it, but a breast augmentation, tummy tuck or facelift is an individually-performed surgery that can have adverse consequences if performed by someone without adequate training and experience.

In the past month, the Attorney General’s office in New York state charged a Manhattan-based Dominican Republic physician with unauthorized practice of a profession. Apparently this surgeon has been advertising cheap plastic surgery, then examining the patients in Manhattan before they flew to the Dominican Republic for the actual procedure. Evidently, there were complaints that his patients developed severe infections and disfigurement.

It’s very important that you examine the background of any surgeon you interview about cosmetic surgery. While it can be cheaper to have a procedure in another country, the cost of airfare, hotel, meals and the need to bring a companion can offset any potential savings. Further is the potential for negative consequences such as infection, disfigurement and even death. In the US, surgeons are held to a very high standard in their operating facilities. Unfortunately, with so many onsite operating rooms, this still leaves room for cut-rate physicians bent on doing thousands of surgeries at cheap prices to cover their overhead. Many of these practitioners don’t even carry malpractice insurance. I am a Delaware board certified plastic surgeon--that means I've been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery as skilled and experienced through exams and photo evidence of my work. 

You can’t put a price tag on training and experience. You wouldn’t let an unqualified plumber in the door, so be sure to check out your surgeon! 

To your health & beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo