I periodically offer my opinions to the public about the surgical procedures that I perform.  Recently, I had an interview by a college student working on a paper for a class she was taking.  She asked me, “Why would a woman want breast implants?”

An individual’s motives are obviously very personal.  From one individual to another there can be very different motivations for a surgical procedure.  However, when thinking about my practice there are common threads among woman seeking breast augmentation.  When asked, most of my patients will note that they are internally motivated to feel better about themselves or their physical appearance.  I often hear that my patients feel less developed than their mother or sisters and feel like they would look better with larger breasts in dresses or swimsuits.  A common refrain in my practice is “I want to fill out my (insert article of clothing here),” or “I want my breasts to match my hips so I’m more proportional,” or “I want my breasts to be full again like they were before my kids.”  In the past several years, I can think of only a few patients who had external motivations.  One patient reported that she wanted to have a breast augmentation to be more attractive to her partner, another felt that having an augmentation would increase her chances in the dating scene.

These ideas seem to be substantiated by Gladfelter et al. in a study looking at more than 3000 patients undergoing silicone breast augmentation.  The author also concluded that women are internally motivated and not motivated by external forces to please a partner, or attract a mate, or improve their sex life.

Our websites www.beauty-surgeon.com and www.drmckane.com have additional information and before and after photographs of breast augmentation for review.  I invite you to schedule a consultation with me if you would like to learn more about breast augmentation or the motivation for aesthetic procedures.  Please feel free to contact our office at (713) 661-5255 if you have any questions.

-Brice W. McKane, M.D.

© 2009, Dr. McKane. All rights reserved.