A breast implant is a prosthesis used to enlarge the size of a woman's breasts (known as breast augmentation, breast enlargement, mammoplasty enlargement, augmentation mammoplasty or the common slang term boob job) for cosmetic reasons; to reconstruct the breast (e.g. after a mastectomy; or to correct genetic deformities), or as an aspect of male-to-female sex reassignment surgery. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation is the most commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedure in the United States. In 2006, 329,000 breast augmentation procedures were performed in the U.S.[1]

There are two primary types of breast implants: saline-filled and silicone-gel-filled implants. Saline implants have a silicone elastomer shell filled with sterile saline liquid. Silicone gel implants have a silicone shell filled with a viscous silicone gel. There have been several alternative types of breast implants developed, such as polypropylene string or soy oil, but these are uncommon.

Patients seeking breast augmentation have been reported as being usually younger, healthier, from higher socio-economic status, and more often married with children than the population at large.[5] Many of these patients have reported greater distress about their appearance in a variety of situations, and have endured teasing about their appearance. Studies have identified a pattern (shared by many cosmetic surgery procedures) that suggest women who undergo breast implantation are slightly more likely to have undergone psychotherapy, have low levels of self-esteem, and have higher prevalences of depression, suicide attempts, and mental illness (including body dysmorphia[6]) as compared to the general population.[7] Post-operative surveys on mental health and quality of life issues have reported improvement on a number of dimensions including: physical health, physical appearance, social life, self confidence, self esteem, and sexual function.[8][9][10][11] Longer term follow-up suggests these improvements may be transitory, with the exception of body esteem related to sexual attractiveness.[12] Most patients report being satisfied long-term with their implants even when they have required re-operation for complications or aesthetic reasons.[

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Yohimbe and other sexual enhancement medications

Version 5.1, June 2003 (rev.)

Sometime in the future, it will be possible through genetic engineering to create humans who are predisposed to live hundreds, and even thousands, of years, or, in fact, indefinitely. Furthermore, it will be possible not only to engineer new lives predisposed to live indefinitely but also to re-engineer existing human life to live on and on. Existing humans will "infect" themselves with virus-like agents that will carry new genetic information into the nucleus of cells to get rid of diseases, and the aging process.

Procreation will be replaced by re-creation.

Alas, we are not quite there yet. And I myself am not optimistic that I will benefit from the advances in genetic science and become one of the individual humans living on indefinitely. Too sad. I have been born some 100 or 200 or 500 years too early.

Nevertheless, I shall attempt to get the most out of my live, and to go a distance as far as possible, in a condition as good as possible. And this means: in a condition that allows me to enjoy sex as much as possible, and up to the time of my hopefully gentle death.

For optimal sexual function, plain healthy living alone doesn't do the job. This is one thing I know very well. Without sexual enhancement medications, many aging men are not usually in a physical condition that would allow them a fulfilling sex life. And because improvements of sexual function by genetic engineering are currently not available, they largely have to rely on pharmacological means.

I myself have been successful in improving sexual function only with 4 classes of medications:

1. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors such as sildenafil citrate and tadalafil.

2. Dopaminergics such as Parlodel (bromocriptine) and Dostinex (cabergoline).

3. Tongkat ali and tongkat ali extract.

4. Yohimbe (the bark) and yohimbine (the pharmaceutical).

I have been using yohimbine for years (before I switched to tongkat ali), and it definitely worked for erections. But I have long stopped taking it because of the severe side effects it has on me, such as heart palpitations and insomnia for up to 30 hours. For those who do not suffer from these side effects, yohimbe and yohimbine may well be superior to phosphodiesterase inhibitors. While I have found, rather accidentally, a medication that does permit me to go to sleep on yohimbe (see the member section for details), I achieve just as good results with a combination of phosphodiesterase inhibitors and tongkat ali. I have had some initial good results with phosphodiesterase inhibitors and dopaminergics, but they only work for a few times and are no long-term solution. While in many countries of the world (especially Third World countries), phosphodiesterase inhibitors and dopaminergics can be purchased at any pharmacy, those living in the United States face strict restrictions and possible lengthy prison terms obtaining them if possessing these medications without a physician's prescriptions. This is just one aspect that indicates that in spite of the historic pride the US takes in being the so-called Land of the Free, it now is the home of people whose personal freedom is, in many aspects, more severely curtailed than of people in any other part of the world. The need for a physician's prescription anyway is a farce (or is it a money-making scheme for physicians), as anyone who is willing to spend the time for a visit to a clinic and to pay a doctor's fee (or attempt it twice or trice) will obtain the prescriptions. All it takes is to make up a story that fits the drugs' indications.

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Lipectomy