83-year-old Santa Ana woman gets "boob job": Should she have been talked out of this, or do you think it's okay?
'Granny's boob job': 83-year-old Santa Ana woman ignites debate
A Santa Ana woman is making national news after getting breast implants at age 83, unwittingly finding that her new breasts are now front and center to controversy.
It all started with a New York Times article about Marie Kolstad who, at 83, is a full-time property manager with a total of 25 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But something wasn't quite right.
She put it this way: "Your breasts go in one direction and your brain goes in another." So she spent $8,000 on a boob job -- specifically a breast lift with implants.
"Physically, I'm in good health, and I just feel like, why not take advantage of it?" she told the newspaper, adding, "I want my children to be proud of what I look like."
The article went on to describe the increasing number of men and women turning to plastic surgery in their older years, and what that says about our culture. But the online world is taking the story in another direction.
"Granny's boob job shows rise of plastic surgery in seniors," said CBS.com, which picked up the story along with Time, ABC and other outlets. Over at ABC, commentators debated the merits, and safety, of such surgery. "It is one thing when a young, healthy woman wishes to undergo the danger of an operation and anesthesia for the sake of her vanity. It is quite another for an 83-year-old woman to do so," said one commenter. Over at ThirdAge.com, Kolstad was cheered on: "Can't take it with you ... go for it grandma!"
Efforts to reach Kolstad on Wednesday morning were unsuccessful, but we'll update this post if we hear from her. Perhaps she's out enjoying her new figure, and her grandkids and great-grandkids.
Read More: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/08/...
Top Opinion
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historian 2011/08/11 18:12:27
I have the feeling that pic could be worse believe it or not....I'm so glad it's not a view from behind.....
oh well, i'll live
if you really want to spend money on boobs grandma donate to the breast cancer foundation or something.
I am asking if, medically, should she have ELECTIVE, major intrusive surgery at the age of 83.
No one is disputing her RIGHT to do any damn thing she wants to.
I was asking if it was HEALTHY for an 83-year old woman to have UNNECESSARY SURGERY when SURGERY at that AGE is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
Just forget it.
edit: And for that matter...surgery at ANY age is dangerous.
We're funding transgender operations these days with public money so what's the big deal with a privately-funded boob job?
Are you suggesting that major surgery shouldn't be done on 83 year old people? Like, once a person reaches a certain age (70? or 80?) the need for major surgery should be withheld?
I, like you--judging from your unit shoulder insignia, was also a medic (U.S. Army Medical Corps, 1970-1976, 91B20 at that time)--and a nurse after the war--and I am familiar with surgery. Autopsies--whether on 96-yo's or not--are a matter of finding out why someone died. At 96 one could say natural causes: old age--unless the person was before that in good health and doing fine. They can be automatic procedure in some places or elective in others, so that isn't quite the same, but I hear you...
I would have asked Grandma there if she understood the increased risk of death with having major surgical intrusion into her body. You know as well as I the increased risk of the use of anethesia at that age, and the increased risk of bacterial infection--especially MERSA. This was--from a medicinal point of view--a risky and unnecessary surgical procedure.
If she elected to have the surgery for her own satisfaction, that is her business, in my opinion, but I sincerely hope that she was counseled about after-effects of such a procedure.
But personally, I could give a rat's ass whether or not this 83 yo woman was properly counseled or not. It's none of our business.
The concern is her age. At 83, surgery is always a risk. Maybe this turns out ok. But the truth is, many of these types of surgeries require future work. I wish her well.