British Extreme Makeover winner Nicola Stratton (Photo courtesy of the Daily Mail)
A recent article in the Orange County Register offers prospective breast augmentation patients some interesting insights regarding stories of breast implant disaster, suggesting that highly publicized botched boob jobs offer valuable lessons to women wishing to avoid experiencing a plastic surgery nightmare.
Choosing a breast surgeon: Credentials and training
The article’s first cautionary tale illustrates the importance of choosing an experienced board certified plastic surgeon for breast augmentation and underscores why price should be the last consideration in the surgeon selection process.
Unfortunately, botched boob job survivor and mother of four Kenyatta Brown had to learn these lessons the hard way after nearly dying on the operating table of an Atlanta eye doctor offering discount breast augmentation.
Brown’s attempt to save cash by having breast augmentation done by an ophthalmologist with little to no plastic surgery training nearly cost her life, which serves as a reminder that you often get what you pay for.
Additionally, Brown’s ordeal illustrates that just because a licensed physician is legally allowed to practice any specialty area of medicine does not mean that they are qualified to do so. You wouldn’t go to a plastic surgeon for an eye exam, so don’t go to an eye doctor or any other physician practicing outside his or her specialty for breast surgery.
Breast augmentation revision and follow up care
British Extreme Makeover winner Nicola Stratton provides the second lesson for would-be breast augmentation patients, pointing out the importance of having access to your original breast augmentation surgeon for follow up care and revision surgery should complications arise.
Stratton flew to Los Angeles for over 30 hours of plastic surgery on the hit TV show, but when she experienced common saline breast implant complications after surgery, she was unprepared for the required travel and expense of her breast revision surgery.
Setting realistic cosmetic surgery goals
The most “high profile” of the recent breast implant disasters featured was that of Sheyla Hershey, who traveled to Brazil to achieve a 38KKK bustline using silicone breast implants so large they are illegal in the U.S.
The gigantic implants didn’t last long, as a near-fatal staph infection forced doctors to remove them shortly after they were implanted. Hershey may also lose all or part of her natural breasts as a result of the infection and will likely have to undergo additional breast revision surgery in the future.
The moral of the story here is to set reasonable and realistic breast augmentation goals and seek a breast implant size that fits your frame and lifestyle.
Additionally, Hershey’s story illustrates that traveling abroad for plastic surgery can be risky in large part due to the fact that many countries outside the U.S. and Canada do not have laws regulating plastic surgery safety protocols, such as limits on the size of breast implants that can be used.
If you’re considering breast augmentation, avoid experiencing a botched boob job nightmare by learning from the experiences of the Kenyatta Brown, Nicola Stratton and Sheyla Hershey and choose a breast augmentation surgeon who is:
- Certified in plastic surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
- In compliance with U.S. health care regulations and standards of ethical practice
- Accessible for follow up care and appointments
- Skilled at revision breast surgery
Board certified New York plastic surgeon Dr. Tracy Pfeifer uses her considerable experience performing breast augmentation and revision breast surgery to achieve natural breast enhancement results that meet each patient’s unique cosmetic goals.