Increased Risk of Suicide Among Patients With Breast Implants: do the Epidemiologic Data Support Psychiatric Consultation?

The literature on the psychological & psychiatric hypotheses concerning women undergoing plastic surgery is reviewed, even though the association with suicide is not specifically addressed. Epidemiologic research is urgently needed to evaluate whether this association is an artifact of a higher prevalence of underlying & unreported psychopathology & other risk factors for suicide among women receiving breast implants or whether implants have an actual causal role in the risk of suicide. Until such studies are completed, it is recommended that psychiatric consultation should be considered before breat augmentation, especially for patients thought to be at high-risk. (46 refs.)