Mortality Among Canadian Women With Cosmetic Breast Implants

The authors examined cause-specific mortality in a cohort of 24,558 women with breast implants & 15,893 women who underwent other plastic surgery procedures in Ontario & Quebec between 1974 & 1989. Overall mortality was lower among women who received breast implants relative to the general population. In contrast, higher suicide rates were observed in both the implant & other plastic surgery patients. No differences in mortality were found between the implant & other surgeries group for any of the 20 causes of death examined. Further study is needed to evaluate risk factors for suicide among women who undergo elective cosmetic surgery. (30 refs.)