I’m a big fan of believing women when they feel sick and I'm not seeing this information about breast implants getting shared enough.
But first a little history. Breast implants started off as experimental devices in the 1960's. The FDA did not regulate medical devices until 1976, so breast implants were considered 'grandfathered devices.' Essentially this means safety reviews and clinical trials were never initially required.
Today, breast implants are one of the top cosmetic surgeries around the world, but they carry some dirty little secrets that you may not be aware of.
1. Silicone Migrates From the Implant Shell To The Rest of The Body
Silicone typically makes up the exterior shell of breast implants and sometimes inside as well (they are typically filled with silicone or saline). The silicone migrates from the exterior shell of the implant to the rest of the body and can cause something called Breast Implant Illness (BII), commonly characterized as an autoimmune reaction leading to symptoms such as fatigue, skin rashes, hair loss, weakness, and neurological problems, among others.
This is due to silicone's ability to migrate from the implant to the rest of the body as confirmed by biochemist Nic Cohn and Dr. Bernard Patten.
According to the research conducted by biochemist Nic Cohn who was hired to do experiments on breast implants by the manufacturer, over the course of 6-8 months silicone was excreted from the silicone shell of the implant. When Cohn shared this information with the manufacturer, nothing was changed or fixed. The information was suppressed and controlled by the breast implant industry.
Dr. Bernard Patten also confirm this with toxicology reports of hair, skin, nails and blood. Silicone leaks from the implant and is mobilized, moving all over the body.
This migration of the silicone may be the basis for BII, a condition NOT recognized by Western medicine, yet there are over 100,000 women in groups across the world claiming their implants are making them sick.
Some doctors recognize this and specialize in removal of not only the implant but the capsule as well. The capsule is fibrous scar tissue that the body creates about the implant, which for some people, if not removed along with the implant, prolongs symptoms of BII.
According to Dr. Patten, patients with BII tend to recovery over the course of two years after the implants are removed as the body secretes the silicone in urine, stool, and bile over time.
While BII is definitely not the case for everyone who gets implants, I think it's important to represent the risks.
2. Implants = A Lifetime of Surgery
When you agree to breast augmentation you're agreeing to a lifetime of surgery. Most silicone implants are FDA approved for 10-20 years. The longer you keep them in, the higher the risk of rupture over time.
Studies show breast implants carry a 7-10% chance of rupture at 10 years. [2]
That means that if you get implants in your 20's, you'd likely have to have at least 3-4 replacement surgeries at a minimum over your lifetime. Additionally, if you ever want to get them removed completely and not replaced, you'd likely want to have reconstruction to eliminate the skin stretching that the implant caused over the years.
3. Breast Implants Have A Black Box Warning
Did you know breast implants carry a black box warning? This is the FDA's most stringent warning for medical devices and drugs that are brought to the market as a warning for consumers that the product can produce serious side effects and injury, including possible death.
Here's an example of the black box warning found on breast implants via the FDA: [4]
Regardless of if you choose breast implants for yourself or not, it's important to be an informed consumer and know enough about the risks that you can include them in your decision making process.
What has your experience with implants been? Please share in the comments!
PIN IT:
References:
- Explant Documentary by Jeremy Simmons. 2021.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4228218/
- Photos courtesy of Dr. Jae Chun and used with permission of the patient.
- https://www.fda.gov/media/131885/download
Lisa Napoi
Very insensitive article
Renee
What are you talking about? Facts don’t have feelings.
The article isn’t insensitive but it is incomplete. There is no information regarding saline implants. Although saline leakage may not be a problem, are there any issues with them?
Catherine
Hi Rene,
Silicone is found in both saline and silicone implants because that is what the exterior shell is made out of. From my research, the silicone shell creates a problem in both kinds of implants regardless of what they are filled with.
Abundantly,
Catherine
Linda
I don’t personally have breast implants but know women who do so thank you for the information to share with others who may not trace their symptoms to their implants.
Jean
I have the opposite experience. My bust grew naturally went up a cup size every other year starting at age 13 and ending at age 39 (usually on my odd birthdays). I went up two cup sizes with both of Lee's and my two sons (even birthdays as I gave birth to Daniel at age 28 and Thomas at age 32). At my largest I was a 34KK in UK sizing and 34O in US sizing). I stopped breathing for 3 minutes walking too much one day. I got a breast reduction as lost five inches. I've gained one inch back since then. My back and neck pain went away temporarily. Now my back only hurts if I lean forward or backwards for very long. My breathing improved somewhat but not completely since they are still proportionally too large (34J in UK sizing and 34M in US sizing). The largest I should be according to my waist size is seven inches smaller (34F cup) and nine inches smaller (34D) is what balances with my hips. I've never lost from the fullest part of my bust through diet/exercise or either time my breast milk dried up so surgery was and still is my only option. My hands and arms are still very weak though so I guess I'll just suffer. There's more problems than perks as it causes me breathing problems, some back pain, numb arms, sensitive neck (no longer can wear crew necks or anything higher as they choke me; they didn't do that when mine were a proportional size which stopped in my early twenties; I'm 41 now), and small animals and children don't like when I hug them (it suffocates them so I keep my hugs to them blissfully short). Also it's the only place I get heat rashes. It's not like the rest of my body which stays normal after the sweat is washed off. I will get a heat rash there every time so I add a moisture absorbing powder or wear a sweat wicking liner daily.
Anne Green
Excellent article. The information about the experiments conducted by Nick Cohn which proved silicone leaked from implants was well described in the documentary "Explant" and is pretty alarming evidence. I've got implants but am having them removed as a result of many health issues (BII-related). If only women knew more about the potential risks before having them.
Lorna J Tobiasson
This article exposes the negatives of implants. This is a good thing. I have had four implant sets since 1972 after a bout of breast cancer. I am now 80 and still have implants but they are deformed a bit. I always wonder if they are harming me in some way. Silicone and saline implants are the same when it comes to problems. I have had both. Keep spreading the word Catherine. Beautiful breasts do not make a real woman.
CP
This happened to me. I removed them in 2018 and have been healing since. Thank you for talking about something we are told we are imagining or making up. It is very real.
Gina DiGilio Davis
Been there done that twice! Yes twice I have implants in and out. The second time having them removed in 2015 after 7 years I got sick really fast. Tremors, aches, vision issues, vibrations and more. Yes they made me sick. Implant illness is real.
Maggie Zoiss
I learned all of this the hard way. I got down to my goal weight and after 2 years wanted a tummy tuck and a lift. My surgeon convinced me that I would not be happy without implants, and he did not tell me all of the warnings. Even when I called after having them 8 years, he said I didn’t need to have them checked or replaced, ever, unless I noticed a problem. A few years after getting them I started gaining back all of the weight plus extra, I had extremely dry skin, extreme fatigue and many other symptoms that could have been related as an inflammatory response to the foreign objects. Research other types of implants, they can have the same issues. I had them removed after 8.5 year by Dr. Lu Jean Feng and she was amazing! About one week after surgery, I had crazy inflammatory reactions that sent me to the ER twice. I’m 2.5 years post op and I’m still recovering, but so glad I had them removed when I did. Some of the stories from other women who are barely surviving are heartbreaking, and all they wanted was too feel like a woman, but they were mislead.