A little time searching the history of prosthetics turns up regular mention of Ambroise Paré as being the father of medical amputation and, incidentally, influential in the field of prosthetics. Examples are cited of "earliest known" prosthetics, and one finds commentary about how little materials or technique have changed over the bulk of history. As with so many arenas of human knowledge, however, prosthetics have really taken off over the last century. Iron, wood, and leather have been replaced by plastics, fiberglass, and other space-age materials. What's all this got to do with
breast implants in Beverly Hills, you ask?
A prosthesis is defined as an artificial device used to replace a body part or to make a body part work better. Arms and legs might be easily spotted without the use of X-rays, at least at a pool or decathlon, but the term also applies to a much broader range of gear. Ears, eyes, fingers, teeth, and even eyeglasses qualify, and so do devices placed surgically inside the body.
As with external prostheses, breast implants used by
Los Angeles plastic surgeon Dr. Marc Mani must conform specifically to the individual patient. Unlike an arm or a leg, breast implants are surgically implanted in a patient's chest, either over or under the underlying pectoral muscle. Because these implants do not technically serve a life-sustaining purpose, the surgery is elective, and so not generally covered by insurance. The decision to have breast augmentation surgery, then, is that much more personal. The benefits of breast augmentation may be less easily defined than that of replacing a leg, but are no less real.
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