I just got an email from a woman who was in a chat room for Breast Implant Illness. She had a capsulectomy and breast implant removal years ago because she was sick with all the plethora of vague but real issues- gastritis, hair loss, weight loss, and Lyme disease. She had elevated ANA (Anitnuclear antibody- seen often in those with autoimmune issues). She and her doctor decided to remove the breast implants.
That was six years ago. Removing the implants did not help her issues. Now she is unhappy with how she looks.
Can she put new implants back in?
It’s a million dollar question. When you have a host of medical issues with no clear cause, it makes a ton of sense to remove implants to see if they are contributing. We don’t know why people get breast implant illness exactly. There are some people who have ASIA syndrome, where they have a true autoimmune reaction to the foreign body (ie the breast implant). Read my blogs on ASIA SYNDROME HERE. There are many plastic surgeons, myself included, who think that breast implant illness for many is likely a result of chronic inflammation from biofilm, a low grade chronic infection. More studies are coming out to support this theory. See my blogs on BIOFILM HERE.
If your implants were making you sick, some feel relief immediately. Some take more time. But if you have given it years and the other symptoms have not improved, likely the breast implants were not the culprit. There has been an acute rise in autoimmune and allergy issues in our world. Is it plastics? chemicals? pollution? Breast implants sometimes are the cause, but with the number of women with implants vs. the rate of BII, sometimes I think the media targets breast implants as an easy villain. I think the truth is much more complex.
Can we put in the implants safely? Can we avoid biofilm? That is always my objective. Read my breast augmentation page and you will see some of the many things I employ- putting implants under the muscle, using a Keller funnel, antibiotic soaks, incision under the breast, pre surgical antibiotic washes, etc. I throw the kitchen sink at it. This is a place to find a plastic surgeon who believes in biofilm and does whatever they can to avoid it.
But there is always risk. Even when we “do everything right” you can still get biofilm and capsular contractures.
So should you put implants back in?
It is a very personal question. Only you can decide if the risk of an implant issue is worth it. Only you know how impaired you are if you feel bad about your body. If you are avoiding being intimate, won’t wear bathing suits, are plagued daily by feeling bad about your body shape, a new implant may be worth it. BUT there is no surgeon who can guarantee you won’t have an issue with your new implants. There is no surgeon who can promise you that you won’t get biofilm or capsular contracture or have health issues which some may wonder are due to the implants. Any surgery has risk, no matter how safe you try to make it. Read a published article on a 14 point plan for breast augmentation HERE.
I know this isn’t a definitive answer, but it is a real one. If you do a new breast augmentation, find a good surgeon. Throw the kitchen sink at safety and anti-infection strategies.
The choice is yours.