Silicone in breast implants are bulletproof

Question

"Doctors noted that the silicone implant was likely responsible for deflecting the bullet’s trajectory – ultimately saving the woman’s life."

- CNN

Comments

This statement is misleading. While it is possible for a breast implant to protect someone from a bullet wound, a study conducted by plastic surgeon Christopher Pannucci found that a silicone implant only reduces a bullet's average distance by 20%

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that quote completely disproved your point, just because something changes the trajectory of a bullet does not make it bulletproof.

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This is an interesting study and if done correctly could save a woman's life. Although it would be beneficial for a breast implant to also have a feature that it is bulletproof, it is only reflecting the trajectory of the bullet which could make the article's headline a little misleading.

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I like that you included a study that supports for point. I think the quote in the CNN article is not used correctly in their claim. Just because someone's breast implant was a likely stop to the bullet in no way means that all implants are bulletproof. I looked more into the study you found and it does say that a breast implant has the ability the reduce a bullet's ability to penetrate, but to say that all are bulletproof implies that all breast implants are 100% bulletproof, which is clearly not correct. I agree with your explanation and appreciate the source that you gave to disprove this claim.

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Unfortunantly I think they are explaining the reason this person survived an incident, rather than saying that all breast implants are bulletproof.

Answer 1

The claim that "breast implants are bulletproof" is a completely false statement. The article made by CNN explores a case in which a women's life was saved by her breast implants in a bullet injury. The articles states that "Doctors noted that the silicone implant was likely responsible for deflecting the bullet’s trajectory – ultimately saving the woman’s life." Although the breast implants saved the women's life it was not because of its bulletproof qualities hence making this statement misleading and at its core a flat out false statement. Silicone breast implants have not been shown to be bulletproof. 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/21/americas/breast-implant-bullet-wound-wellness-intl-scli/index.html

Answer 2

Silicone breast implants are not bulletproof. No material in the actual fake breast will stop a bullet from going through ones body. However, the article focused on an example where the implant got hit with a bullet and saved a woman's life, not because the implant itself is bulletproof, but because it deflected the bullet from hitting a major organ. The CNN article that the text refers to never claims that silicone breast implants are bulletproof. All together this means that breast implants can provide at times a protective benefit, but are not bulletproof in anyway and at times ay not redirect every bullet.

Answer 3

Silicone Breast implants are not bulletproof. In the CNN article listed in the claim, it is said that “The implant caused the change in the trajectory of the bullet,” (Woodyatt, 2020). But the claim that the implant is bulletproof is not supported or stated at all in the actual article. Another article “The unexpected benefit of breast implants” covers this story and comes from K-Online. The article states from the beginning that no, breast implants cannot stop bullets. But they can reduce the impact of the shot. The author of the article and his colleagues even conducted a test where they shot at an implant at close quarters to mimic the actual shooting and see the impact of the bullet. The conclusion was in fact that they are not bulletproof but do reduce impact energy from the bullet and protect up to 20% more than without a breast implant. 

Woodyatt, A. (2020, April 21). Woman’s breast implant deflects bullet, saving her life. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/21/americas/breast-implant-bullet-wound-wellness-intl-scli/index.html 

Pannucci, C. (n.d.). The unexpected benefit of breast implants. K 2025 - World’s No. 1 Trade Fair for Plastics & Rubber. https://www.k-online.com/en/Media_News/News/The_unexpected_benefit_of_breast_implants#:~:text=Can%20breast%20implants%20stop%20bullets,was%20fired%20at%20close%20quarters. 

Answer 4

This article claims that a woman's silicone breast plant stopped a bullet from killing her. Through further research this instance was not the first of its kind, as there has been other cases where bullets have been deflected by silicone breast implants. However this does not mean that silicone is bullet proof. Which is something that is exaggerated by the title of this article.

https://abc7.com/breast-implants-stop-bullet-silicone-save-womans-life/6120472/

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/21/americas/breast-implant-bullet-wound-wellness-intl-scli/index.html

Answer 5

When you think silicone breast implants, your mind does not think "bulletproof," it thinks "body modification for an aesthetic” or something similar to that. The CNN article never claims that silicone breast implant’s are bulletproof. What the article does state is “The implant caused the change in the trajectory of the bullet." The bullet went through the implant and hit her rib. We all know bulletproof means stop a bullet; the silicone breast implant did not stop the bullet. There are instances where silicone breast implants have saved women's lives but never stopped a bullet.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/21/americas/breast-implant-bullet-wound-wellness-intl-scli/index.html

Answer 6

5. According to a case study published in SAGE Journals, the CNN story about a silicone breast implant saving a woman's life by deflecting a bullet is factually correct. This occurrence, which took place in Toronto in 2018, is among the few known examples of a breast implant changing a bullet's path. One of the doctors, Dr. Giancarlo McEvenue, revealed that the bullet ricocheted off the implant, avoiding critical organs like the heart or lungs. Even if this incident is noteworthy, it is crucial to stress that breast implants are not made to withstand bullets, and this is an uncommon occurrence. Breast implants are meant to be used for cosmetic or reconstructive purposes; the protective effect is neither guaranteed nor the goal. This case should not be interpreted as proof that implants may consistently avoid harm in comparable circumstances. Several other sources, including Global News, report the same findings, confirming the role of the silicone implant in altering the bullet's path. Still, they also highlight the unusual nature of the event and the lack of any protective intent behind breast implants. 

Sources: https://globalnews.ca/news/6846554/breast-implant-gunshot-wound/ 

 

Answer 7

Although she was saved from a bullet because of her breast implant, breast implants aren’t bullet proof. Breast implants is like a gel inside the breast, so any sharp object of a sort will cause damage to it. A article written by a plastic surgeon claimed “The average human chest cavity is 6” deep. This means if the breast implants were shot with a handgun, the bullet would only go 5” deep into your chest cavity. That’s still a mortal wound no matter which way you look at it.” https://www.dr-adams.com/blog/can-a-breast-implant-stop-a-bullet/   So a breast implant can’t necessarily save your life, it can possibly slow the bullet down but you’ll still have some sort of damage. Here’s a link to a video down below of a guy shooting a bullet through a gel implant. https://youtu.be/9fRNjGPghX8?si=HNZgCJpd18b2L584 

Answer 8

In the article, “Woman’s breast implant deflects bullet, saving her life,” Amy Woodyatt claims the gunshot victim’s implant altered the trajectory of a bullet, ultimately avoiding a life-threatening injury. 

This article was published by CNN in April 2020 and cited a singular case study from Sage Journals. The medical report never specifies that breast implants are bulletproof or provide protection. Giancarlo McEvenue writes they found the “bullet in the right lateral thoracic wall,” along with “a fractured rib and gas in the left breast.” The victim sustained injuries but avoided harm to her “heart and intrathoracic cavity,” potentially saving her life.

A ballistics study examining the impact of saline breast implants on tissue penetration after a firearm injury found the “implant [resulted in] 20.6% decreased penetration.” Breast implants decrease bullet velocity by adding a protective layer, but are in no way bulletproof. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, this would assume implants can prevent bullets from passing through.

The article aims to persuade readers of the inflated abilities of breast implants rather than inform them of an extremely lucky, rare situation. Implants were not designed to stop firearms, knives, or other penetrable objects. The victim maintained injuries, but perhaps not as fatal if the bullets didn’t pass through an implant.  

Answer 9

This is a false claim. Even with the context of the CNN article they are citing. In that article we learn about a woman who was shot, she happened to have breast implants, and the implant did not stop the bullet but redirected the bullet, ultimately saving her life. This is a single situation story, so to claim that it means that silicone breast implants are bulletproof is very misleading. On top of that even in this one situation the implant was not "bulletproof" as it did not stop or deflect the bullet, just changed it's path.

Answer 10

The claim that silicone in breast implants is bulletproof is misleading. The headline of the article says that the implant deflected the bullet which saved her life but it does not state that all silicone in implants makes them bulletproof. The news source CNN is a well-known high-quality news source. The author Amy Woodyartt is a real CNN reporter. This news is from April 2020, only a couple of years old. Fox News, NY Post, and People have reported on the news. The images shown were x-rays of the woman's chest. The x-rays show the bullet in the lateral thoracic wall. The headline does align with the content of the article.