Bandits make off with truckload of breast implants

Armed bandits in Brazil robbed a vehicle carrying more than 400 breast implants, officials said on Tuesday.

“It happened last week, but we only learned about it recently as our clients started complaining. It is the hottest period of the year in terms of implant sales,” said Margaret Figueiredo, director of silicone implant manufacturer Silimed.

A spokesman for the state Postal Service confirmed that assailants, apparently men, robbed the postal van with implants on Thursday night in Rio de Janeiro. Each Silimed breast implant costs nearly $400.

The popularity of Brazil’s plastic surgery pioneer and trendsetter Ivo Pitanguy, whose clients include celebrities like Sophia Loren, has made the tropical country one of the leading international nip and tuck venues.

Figueiredo explained demand is the highest in July, during the southern hemisphere winter, as women schedule surgery during the winter school holidays, which precede the beach season.

Figueiredo said the implants, each bearing an individual number, could now only be sold for clandestine surgeries. Horrific stories abound in Brazil about the illegal operations that can cause gangrene and death.

Print Version
Tell-a-Friend comments powered by Disqus

RELATED ARTICLES:

Fat grafting technique improves results of breast augmentation   UW research shows sensor technology may help improve accuracy of clinical breast exams   Generic Breast Cancer Drugs Boost Adherence   New models of drug-resistant breast cancer point to better treatments   Breast tomosynthesis increases cancer detection and reduces recall rates   2 views are better than 1 in 3-D breast screening   Study reveals genomic similarities between breast cancer and ovarian cancers   Moderate exercise tied to lower breast cancer risk   Risk for some cancers rises with U.S. obesity rate   New genomic test spares patients chemotherapy with no adverse effect on survival   Breast Cancer In Black Women Is A Different Disease   Combination of Everolimus and Exemestane Improves Progression-Free Survival for Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer