A California woman, who was injured during a shooting rampage inside a dental office last summer, is believed to be saved by her breast implants.

Lydia Carranza was shot in the chest when a gunman opened fire at the Family Dental Care Clinic in Simi Valley on July 1, 2009, KTLA. com reported. Dr. Ashkan Ghavami, a Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon, said he believes her implant impeded the bullet from hitting her heart.

"I saw the CT scan", he told the Los Angeles Times. "The bullet fragments were millimeters from her heart and her vital organs. Had she not had the implant, she might not be alive today".

While a firearms instructor said it is possible, the spokeswoman for the hospital that treated Carranza said she is not sure whether the breast implant had any impact on saving her life.

Scott Reitz, a firearms instructor with 30 years' experience in the LAPD told the Times, "Common sense would dictate that any time you have something that interrupts the velocity of the projectile, it would benefit the object it was trying to strike".

"I don't want to say a boob job is the equivalent of a bulletproof vest", he added. "So don't go getting breast enhancements as a means to deflect a possible incoming bullet".

According to the report, Carranza’s implant was completely destroyed after the shooting. Ghavami now plans to perform reconstructive surgery at a low cost.