VENEZUELA ALERT: Toilet paper shortage, newsprint shortage, now breast implants shortage

Theguardian.com reported Breast implants shortage hits plastic surgery clinics in Venezuela
Brand-name implants almost impossible to obtain, say surgeons as currency controls affect imports
In Venezuela, cosmetic procedures are often regarded as a normal, even necessary rite of passage for young women. But the currency crisis, which has already caused chronic shortages of staple foods, medical supplies and even toilet paper, has now created a scarcity of breast implants.

Though official figures do not exist, patients considering breast augmentation have increasingly reported being unable to find prosthethics, especially those that meet US Food and Drug Administration approved standards.

Venezuela is believed to have one of the world’s highest rates of plastic surgery, with 85,000 implant operations last year, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Read Article