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American Morning

Saline Solution?

Aired September 24, 2002 - 09:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: For an increasing number of American women, bigger is apparently bigger. Women choosing to have their breasts enlarged through implant surgery is rising to record levels. Are they getting all of the facts first. L'Tanya Sloan plans to get implants in November. She joins us from San Francisco this morning. In New York, Linda Wells, editor and chief of "Allure" magazine, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Sorry about butchering your name there. He will give us some medical advice.
L'Tanya, first of all, if you go through with this, this won't be your first experience with plastic surgery, right?

L'TANYA SLOAN, PLANS TO RECEIVE IMPLANTS: No, it won't be my first experience, no.

ZAHN: What did have you done before?

SLOAN: A tummy tuck is probably the best way to describe the surgery, about four weeks ago.

ZAHN: And have you seen the results yet?

SLOAN: Yes, I have seen the results. I'm wearing clothes that I probably would not have been able to wear years ago. I am looking more like I did when I was in my late teens, and I'm not there anymore, so I'm feeling pretty good about it.

ZAHN: And you've had two kids since your late teens, and you work very hard. You have a doctorate degree. Why is this important so to you? You are someone who is athletic and fit.

SLOAN: Yes, it's funny you should mention that. My weight trainer, we worked out all the time. I jogged everyday, but for some reason, that little pot in the middle just didn't seem to go anywhere, and I just did a lot research, and I talked to a lot of folks who had received the surgery. I did extensive research and talked with people that had had the surgery, and I made the selection of a very, very good doctor in Atlanta, and I made the decision to do it, and I think it was a very good decision for me. It may not be good for everyone, but it was a good one for me.

ZAHN: And why are you so committed to having breast augmentation now?

SLOAN: Well, it will complete the look. For me, it is personal. My motto for life is carpe diem -- seize the day -- eat, drink and be merry (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And this is something that I want to do. It is personal for me. It's not for anyone else. It's just what I want to do.

ZAHN: Let's talk Linda about how L'Tanya pretty much represents the statistics that we are seeing in America, a record number of women going in for breast augmentation -- why?

LINDA WELLS, EDITOR, "ALLURE": Well, part of the statistics might be somewhat misleading, because they're compared to 10 years ago when silicone breast implants were bad, but still we're seeing increases in breast reductions, breast implants, breast lifts, tummy tucks, which is a really elaborate operation. Part of it has to do with the fact that plastic surgery is more accepted, and that doctors are promoting it, because it's lucrative, and that technology and techniques have improved.

ZAHN: What about issues of self esteem?

WELLS: Self esteem is definitely part laugh people are addressing with surgery, and this can get very complicated, because if women think that it is going to solve self-esteem issues, they will be sadly mistaken. It is a risky operation, with risks of all sorts.

ZAHN: L'Tanya, you say you are doing this to complete the look. You are a highly educated whom who gets a great deal of satisfaction from being a mother, and your job, and making a lot of money, and all the other stuff you do. Help people understand how this is going to enhance your already good life.

SLOAN: I don't have a self-esteem problem, I can tell you that. I enjoy life. I'm a St. John person for lack of a better reference. I enjoy tight-fitting executive knits, executive looking suits as I speak to a customer, and I was carrying this little thing around with me that didn't belong. And so now that I have that taken care of with the tummy tuck, I think that the breast augmentation surgery will complete the look that I'm simply trying to achieve, and I don't have another reason other than that.

And also having talked with other women that have had a lot of success with the surgery. I'm not striving to be Dolly Parton or anything like that, but I'm simply trying to achieve a look that will complete my image personally.

ZAHN: Are you concerned about the risks that you face?

SLOAN: I have done a lot of research in that area, too, and I know the silicone implants had some problems early on, and I think it had to do with pulmonary, cardiovascular type of problems that could have occurred. At least medical science was trying to imply that that was the case.

During the time, the saline implants came out, and now that is more of trend, even though silicone implants weren't causing the problems that were being conveyed that they perceived to be a problem earlier. Silicone is not a bad thing -- I'm sorry -- the saline is not a bad solution.

ZAHN: Doctor, if you would, run us through as quickly as you can, what women face who have this surgery, if they are going to have problems at all. Not everybody does.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, and most people don't, you know, 130,000 people or so get some sort of procedure, the saline or the silicone. Some people still do get the silicones as part of investigational trials, although it's very rare. Most of them are saline.

For the most part, they are going to be fine. They are going to be entirely safe. What people do worry about are a couple of things. Scarring around the particular implant. And this is maybe a little bit bigger problem than people realize.

ZAHN: Which can mean that your the tissue really hardens.

GUPTA: Yes, you put any foreign object in the body and you are going to get some scarring around it. They call it "capsular (ph) contraction," and can be cosmetically a problem. It can also be very painful, sometimes even requiring people taking the implant out. Besides that, sometimes the implant can actually move a little bit, again, requiring possible operations.

But a lot of the problems we heard about 10 years ago, Paula, with autoimmune disorders and stuff like that sort of coming about as a result of the silicone implants, we are not seeing that as much any more. Again, the silicone implants aren't approved for mass use. The safety trials haven't been approved for that yet. But as far as saline implants go, they seem to be pretty, safe, at least from that perspective.

ZAHN: Linda, how much are women spending in America on these procedures?

WELLS: Woman are spending an enormous amount of money. I don't have a figure right now. But it's interesting, because appearance isn't a solid, genetic given any more. Women are realizing that they can achieve things through money and through time that were never possible before. So if they are born with a nose they don't like, they can change it. If they want larger breasts or smaller breasts, they can do something about it.

ZAHN: But costs can vary quite a bit, from the low range $6,000 on up to $25,000. And you are happy to spend that kind of money, L'Tanya?

SLOAN: I'm not saying I'm spending that kind of money. I have done extensive research and the doctor that is performing my surgery, he certainly isn't the least expensive. It is affordable. I think the average salary across the nation based on the research I have read is $25,000 for a woman who would want to have breast augmentation surgery or have tummy tuck. That's not a lot of money. So women are doing it with no regard of how much it costs, as long as they get the results they want to achieve.

So I don't think I'm spending a lot of money; I think I'm doing what I want to do. ZAHN: If we can judge our reaction by the crew to you, it's all in the eyes of the beholder. Everybody thinks you're pretty darn spectacular.

SLOAN: Well, thank you.

ZAHN: Good luck with the rest of the surgery. Thanks for sharing your very personal story with us. Linda Wells with "Allure" magazine, thank you coming on as well. Appreciate the free house call, too.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired September 24, 2002 - 09:46   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: For an increasing number of American women, bigger is apparently bigger. Women choosing to have their breasts enlarged through implant surgery is rising to record levels. Are they getting all of the facts first. L'Tanya Sloan plans to get implants in November. She joins us from San Francisco this morning. In New York, Linda Wells, editor and chief of "Allure" magazine, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Sorry about butchering your name there. He will give us some medical advice.
L'Tanya, first of all, if you go through with this, this won't be your first experience with plastic surgery, right?

L'TANYA SLOAN, PLANS TO RECEIVE IMPLANTS: No, it won't be my first experience, no.

ZAHN: What did have you done before?

SLOAN: A tummy tuck is probably the best way to describe the surgery, about four weeks ago.

ZAHN: And have you seen the results yet?

SLOAN: Yes, I have seen the results. I'm wearing clothes that I probably would not have been able to wear years ago. I am looking more like I did when I was in my late teens, and I'm not there anymore, so I'm feeling pretty good about it.

ZAHN: And you've had two kids since your late teens, and you work very hard. You have a doctorate degree. Why is this important so to you? You are someone who is athletic and fit.

SLOAN: Yes, it's funny you should mention that. My weight trainer, we worked out all the time. I jogged everyday, but for some reason, that little pot in the middle just didn't seem to go anywhere, and I just did a lot research, and I talked to a lot of folks who had received the surgery. I did extensive research and talked with people that had had the surgery, and I made the selection of a very, very good doctor in Atlanta, and I made the decision to do it, and I think it was a very good decision for me. It may not be good for everyone, but it was a good one for me.

ZAHN: And why are you so committed to having breast augmentation now?

SLOAN: Well, it will complete the look. For me, it is personal. My motto for life is carpe diem -- seize the day -- eat, drink and be merry (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And this is something that I want to do. It is personal for me. It's not for anyone else. It's just what I want to do.

ZAHN: Let's talk Linda about how L'Tanya pretty much represents the statistics that we are seeing in America, a record number of women going in for breast augmentation -- why?

LINDA WELLS, EDITOR, "ALLURE": Well, part of the statistics might be somewhat misleading, because they're compared to 10 years ago when silicone breast implants were bad, but still we're seeing increases in breast reductions, breast implants, breast lifts, tummy tucks, which is a really elaborate operation. Part of it has to do with the fact that plastic surgery is more accepted, and that doctors are promoting it, because it's lucrative, and that technology and techniques have improved.

ZAHN: What about issues of self esteem?

WELLS: Self esteem is definitely part laugh people are addressing with surgery, and this can get very complicated, because if women think that it is going to solve self-esteem issues, they will be sadly mistaken. It is a risky operation, with risks of all sorts.

ZAHN: L'Tanya, you say you are doing this to complete the look. You are a highly educated whom who gets a great deal of satisfaction from being a mother, and your job, and making a lot of money, and all the other stuff you do. Help people understand how this is going to enhance your already good life.

SLOAN: I don't have a self-esteem problem, I can tell you that. I enjoy life. I'm a St. John person for lack of a better reference. I enjoy tight-fitting executive knits, executive looking suits as I speak to a customer, and I was carrying this little thing around with me that didn't belong. And so now that I have that taken care of with the tummy tuck, I think that the breast augmentation surgery will complete the look that I'm simply trying to achieve, and I don't have another reason other than that.

And also having talked with other women that have had a lot of success with the surgery. I'm not striving to be Dolly Parton or anything like that, but I'm simply trying to achieve a look that will complete my image personally.

ZAHN: Are you concerned about the risks that you face?

SLOAN: I have done a lot of research in that area, too, and I know the silicone implants had some problems early on, and I think it had to do with pulmonary, cardiovascular type of problems that could have occurred. At least medical science was trying to imply that that was the case.

During the time, the saline implants came out, and now that is more of trend, even though silicone implants weren't causing the problems that were being conveyed that they perceived to be a problem earlier. Silicone is not a bad thing -- I'm sorry -- the saline is not a bad solution.

ZAHN: Doctor, if you would, run us through as quickly as you can, what women face who have this surgery, if they are going to have problems at all. Not everybody does.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, and most people don't, you know, 130,000 people or so get some sort of procedure, the saline or the silicone. Some people still do get the silicones as part of investigational trials, although it's very rare. Most of them are saline.

For the most part, they are going to be fine. They are going to be entirely safe. What people do worry about are a couple of things. Scarring around the particular implant. And this is maybe a little bit bigger problem than people realize.

ZAHN: Which can mean that your the tissue really hardens.

GUPTA: Yes, you put any foreign object in the body and you are going to get some scarring around it. They call it "capsular (ph) contraction," and can be cosmetically a problem. It can also be very painful, sometimes even requiring people taking the implant out. Besides that, sometimes the implant can actually move a little bit, again, requiring possible operations.

But a lot of the problems we heard about 10 years ago, Paula, with autoimmune disorders and stuff like that sort of coming about as a result of the silicone implants, we are not seeing that as much any more. Again, the silicone implants aren't approved for mass use. The safety trials haven't been approved for that yet. But as far as saline implants go, they seem to be pretty, safe, at least from that perspective.

ZAHN: Linda, how much are women spending in America on these procedures?

WELLS: Woman are spending an enormous amount of money. I don't have a figure right now. But it's interesting, because appearance isn't a solid, genetic given any more. Women are realizing that they can achieve things through money and through time that were never possible before. So if they are born with a nose they don't like, they can change it. If they want larger breasts or smaller breasts, they can do something about it.

ZAHN: But costs can vary quite a bit, from the low range $6,000 on up to $25,000. And you are happy to spend that kind of money, L'Tanya?

SLOAN: I'm not saying I'm spending that kind of money. I have done extensive research and the doctor that is performing my surgery, he certainly isn't the least expensive. It is affordable. I think the average salary across the nation based on the research I have read is $25,000 for a woman who would want to have breast augmentation surgery or have tummy tuck. That's not a lot of money. So women are doing it with no regard of how much it costs, as long as they get the results they want to achieve.

So I don't think I'm spending a lot of money; I think I'm doing what I want to do. ZAHN: If we can judge our reaction by the crew to you, it's all in the eyes of the beholder. Everybody thinks you're pretty darn spectacular.

SLOAN: Well, thank you.

ZAHN: Good luck with the rest of the surgery. Thanks for sharing your very personal story with us. Linda Wells with "Allure" magazine, thank you coming on as well. Appreciate the free house call, too.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com