8A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BODY IMAGE
TUESDAY,FEBRUARY 18,2003
Barbara Anne McGrath is a Prairie Village plastic surgeon who performed Lucy Blaney's breast reduction surgery. She said a woman's physique determined whether her breasts were too big. "Whatever causes discomfort for the patient," she said.
Barbara Anne McGrath, a plastic surgeon, holds two types of breast implants. Silicone-gel implants (left) are rarely used because of health concerns, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Saline-filled implants (right) are used instead.
Surgery
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Lucy Blaney, Overland Park senior, surgically reduced the size of her breasts from a 34DDD to a 32C. Her breasts were so heavy that Blaney had constant back and chest pains.
She was just a size A. But by age 16, her breasts had grown to a size D. For Blaney, the size was too big because she was 5 feet 4 inches tall and 127 pounds.
"When I was 16, I looked like I was 20." Blaney said. "It wasn't horrible. The attention seemed like a good idea because I was the only one who had boobs."
"You don't get the kind of respect that you want," Blaney said. "I was psychologically and physically uncomfortable. I felt like I didn't fit in and that people were scrutinizing me and judging me because of my breast size."
As her breasts grew bigger, so did her upper-back, neck and chest pains.
Her heavy back pack, tight bra and breasts all contributed to constant muscle spasms and pain. She could not go for a walk or work out because her back and chest hurt, she said.
"I used to lie on the ground at night and work out my back for about an hour," Blaney said. "I couldn't sit up straight very long because my back would get completely out of whack."
Her mother, Susan Blaney, said she supported her daughter's decision to get a reduction.
"She was always complaining that her neck and back hurt," she said. "My husband's mother had to get a breast reduction, and I knew Lucy would feel a lot better if she went through the surgery."
When Blaney turned 17, she went to a doctor to discuss breast reduction surgery. Her doctor told her to wait a couple of years for her breasts to finish growing.
Three years later, she returned to the doctor as a size DDD.
She had surgery during winter break of her sophomore year.
"My plastic surgeon said that I would have permanent back damage if I didn't get a reduction," said Blaney, now 22.
Lindsey's story
Lindsey Smith thought she was a late bloomer in high school.
Every year, the Lawrence junior said she thought her breasts would grow, but she eventually gave up on the idea.
Smith wore padded bras to try to look more like her friends.
"I realized that I wasn't going to grow anymore when I saw that everyone else was filling out and looking like a woman and I still looked like a girl," Smith said.
"I looked like Peter Pan. I was flat as a board."
Although Smith said she was OK with her body, she still wanted more.
"I didn't think that my body was proportional because I was 5'10", big-boned with broad shoulders and I wore a size 34A," Smith said.
"I was envious of other girls because their breasts looked great and mine didn't," she said. "I never cried because I had small breasts and I probably could have lived with them, but I always wished that I had bigger ones."
"They were really skeptical at first because they thought it was a waste and that I didn't need to do that," Smith said. "It took quite a bit of convincing, but they were supportive."
When Smith told her family about her decision to get implants, they disapproved.
Her younger sister. Corey Smith, said she supported her sister but thought the surgery would be a waste of money.
"I thought they were going to look fake and that she might not want them afterwards," said Corey Smith, Lawrence senior
However, of all women who want implants, Corey said she felt her sister should get them because her body looked unbalanced.
"I never would have told her that because I didn't want to hurt her feelings," she said. "It was a
THE CUTS AND STITCHES
Implant surgeries:
A 1-inch incision is made underneath the armpit, around the nipple or underneath the curves of the breasts.
The surgeon divides tissues underneath the breast and pectoral muscle for the implant.
Once the space is developed, the surgeon opens it with his or her hands.
Reduction surgeries:
The saline implants, which are deflated, are rolled up and inserted into the breasts. Saline is injected into the implant through a tube that is attached to a valve on the implant.
Before the surgery, blood is drawn from the patient in case she needs a transfusion during the operation.
Before going into the operating room, the surgeon marks where the incisions need to made on the breasts.
An incision is made around the areola and down underneath the folds of the breasts. The nipple is temporarily repositioned or removed.
Skin, fat and breast tissues are cut and removed. The skin is then brought together to reshape the breast.
The extra skin and tissues are sent to a pathologist, who will check them for tumors and other diseases.
sources: The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Barbara Anne McGrath, Prairie Village plastic surgeon, and W. Thomas Lawrence, chief of plastic surgery at KU Medical Center.
runningjoke in our family because we're all flat-chested. I guess deep down it made her feel uncomfortable about the way she looked."
Most breast implant surgeries cost about $5,000, while breast reductions are more expensive, said W. Thomas Lawrence, chief of plastic surgery at KU Medical Center. Although breast reductions cost more, he said, insurance companies usually covered the surgeries.
Although physical pain is often associated with plastic surgery, the pain usually hits the wallet first.
With a $3,200 loan and $800 in savings, Smith had breast implant surgery last June.
Bianey's surgery costs totaled about $26,000, which included the surgery and her overnight stay in the hospital. She paid $800, and her insurance company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, covered the rest.
The pain of looking good
The insurance company covers breast reductions because of health problems, but it does not
cover breast implants because they are considered cosmetic surgery, said Graham Bailey, director of public relations for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas.
The only scenario in which the company might cover breast implant surgeries is for a woman who has undergone a mastecyto, or the removal of a breast, because of cancer, Bailey said.
"Some companies feel that they already removed the cancer so they don't have to do anything further than that," he said. "They also feel that reconstruction of the breast to gain symmetry is not medically necessary. But we think it's important for the mental state of the patient so they can continue the healing process."
Lawrence said the amount of time spent in surgery was different for implants and reductions. Implant surgeries take about two hours, while reductions take about four hours.
"Since breast implant surgeries do not take long to do, patients can go home the same day while reduction patients usually stay overnight," he said. "The reason is because the incisions are a lot more extensive for breast reductions."
Recovery was excruciating for
both Blaney and Smith.
"At that time, I thought getting implants was not worth it because it was the most painful thing that I have ever experienced," Smith said. "You don't want to move, you don't want to smile because you can't move your arms."
For two months after her surgery, Blaney was not allowed to lift her hands above her head because she might rip her stitches, she said. She also could not immerse her upper body in water because of risk of infection.
"You watch those MTV specials about plastic surgery and a week later, they're bouncing around buying new clothes," Blaney said. "That is total BS because you're fatigued for about three months after surgery and your body feels sore all of the time."
Although pain and soreness varies from person to person, discomfort usually lasts about six weeks, said Barbara Anne McGrath, the Prairie Village plastic surgeon who performed Blaney's operation. It also takes about two years for the breasts to completely heal after a reduction or implant surgery.
Lawrence said that one thing that did not go away were the physical scars, although they
"They're lighter and lighter but I'll have scars for the rest of my life." Blaney said.
It's been almost two years since Blaney had her surgery, and her scars are still pinkish-colored, she said.
Scars are not the only risk involved with breast reduction and implant surgeries.
became less noticeable over time.
With any operation, risks include bleeding and infection, Lawrence said. Breast reduction and implant surgeries also carry other risks, such as the inability to breast feed or a loss of sensation around the nipple.
McGrath said patients who had breast implants might have to get them redone because the implants could leak and deflate.
Smith said she would get her implants redone if they leaked.
"Even though it's expensive and painful, once you have them, you like them even more than before you got them done," Smith said. "I am proportional now and I feel great."
Breasts have always played an important role in the way western society looks at women's bodies, said Marta Vicente, assistant professor in women's studies and history.
Media and society's ideal woman
Although breasts are recognized as maternal, they have also been considered objects of sexual allure, she said.
"Throughout history, women have always wanted perfect breasts," Vicente said. "In the 1920s, you were supposed to flatten your chest because big breasts were not in fashion. Now, bigger seems better."
In her 20 years of practice, McGrath said she had advised a couple of women not to get implants because they were doing it for the wrong reasons.
Although Smith's family and close friends know about her surgery, she said she did not tell many people because of the negative stereotypes about implants. For this reason, she asked not to be pictured in this story.
"If it's to please a boyfriend or a significant other then that's not a reason," she said. "I spend a lot of time trying to talk patients out of an augmentation if I don't think the expectations are realistic, or that the patient will be mature enough to understand the risks involved."
"People think that if you get implants, you want them for attention and to be more attractive," Smith said. "I like the way my breasts look, but I got them because I wanted to feel more comfortable with my own body, not for attention."
Magazines, television and the Internet bombard people with pictures of the ideal woman: thin and beautiful. That portrayal is one reason why negative body image is a problem, said John Wade, staff psychologist at Counseling and Psychological Services.
"The media does not represent most women's body shapes because most women aren't a size two or three," Wade said.
While women get plastic surgery for various reasons, the media likely influence their decisions, he said.
Blaney had a reduction because of health reasons but said body image also affected her decision.
"The media is not explicitly saying 'Get plastic surgery,' but it's the unspoken message when they show pictures of Barbie Doll-like bodies," Wade said. "That image is unattainable because most people don't have a makeup artist that spends a day on them."
"I couldn't buy clothes because if I wore a tight shirt, my breasts would stick out," Blaney said. "I started to wear baggier clothes, especially bigger tops, in college so people would stop staring at me. I felt kind of exposed."
'No regrets'
Smith said bigger breasts made her life more fun because she could exercise and wear clothes that showed cleavage.
After surgery, Smith went from a 34A to a 36C, and Blaney went from a 34DDD to a 32C.
"I have more self-esteem," she said. "Everyone has something that they would like to change about themselves and I felt that I needed to change my breasts so I changed it. I'm happier."
For Blaney, smaller breasts also allow her to exercise and buy clothes that fit.
"They are so nicely proportioned and so much more manageable," Blaney said. "I feel more comfortable in my skin because it's not as embarrassing anymore."
Blaney does not have any more back pains but still hunches her body out of habit, she said.
People have stopped staring at Blaney's chest. Sometimes she misses the attention, but she said the benefits of the surgery outweighed the sacrifices.
"I find moments of jealousy when I'm at the mail and I see someone with big breasts who's getting all of the attention," Blaney said. "At the same time, I wouldn't trade it because I feel a whole lot healthier. I have no regrets."
Edited by Molly Gise, Keomanywong can be reached at vkeomanywong@kansan.com