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Apr. 13--Women in the Owensboro and Daviess County area usually don't get implants to make their breasts significantly larger.
They are looking to resolve a top-bottom ratio that has been skewed by childbearing, genetics, weight loss or other factors, say two area surgeons.
"They want to improve their body image," said Dr. Gerald Edds, a cosmetic surgeon with the Aesthetic Surgery Center on Farrell Crescent. "They basically just want to look better in their clothes."
The key word is "proportionate," said Edds and Dr. Mike Conkright of Newburgh, Ind.
"Most of the patients I see ... are looking to be normal," said Conkright, who closed his satellite office in Owensboro in January after 20 years.
Conkright said 20 to 40 percent of his 250 yearly implant patients come from Daviess, McLean, Ohio, Muhlenberg and Hancock counties. Most are 30 to 45 years old, he said.
Edds said more than 95 percent of the implant cases he sees each year are having the procedure for cosmetic reasons.
Most of them are 22- to 45-year-olds looking to move from an A or B cup to a C, Edds said.
Both men said women who are considering getting implants need to find a certified surgeon, then have detailed talks with him or her about risks, limitations, recovery and discomfort.
If possible, they should talk to friends, family or acquaintances who have gotten implants, so they can get an idea what to expect, Conkright said.
Patients who are physically fit tend to tolerate and recover from surgery quicker, the surgeons said.
Women who do chest exercises should back off three to four weeks before surgery, Edds said.
The tighter the chest muscle is, the longer it takes to stretch to accommodate the implants, creating more discomfort, he said.
They also "have to have realistic expectations," Conkright said. "They've got to understand it's not going to change their lives."
But it can make them more proportionate, enabling them to wear clothes more comfortably and therefore giving them more confidence, he said.
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Copyright (c) 2006, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
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