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Why Don't Doctors Listen to Women Who Say Their Breast Implants Made Them Sick?

asked 1 year ago by tyknee in Irvine
Latest answer by Scott L. Replogle, MD
Question viewed 330 times
Tags: doctor, sick

How can there be so many women claiming they have gotten ill after getting implants and so many doctors saying its not possible? Are these women considered less than reliable sources? It does not make sense.

18 answers to Why Don't Doctors Listen to Women Who Say Their Breast Implants Made Them Sick?

Breast implant problems: science vs. junk science vs witchcraft

If somebody develops a problem after having breast implants, they will assume it is due to the breast implants; that is human nature. But what about women who got the same condition who never had breast implants? Junk science fueled the breast implant controversy and caused 3 Billion dollars to change hands. Now even most desparate lawyers won't take a breast implant - autoimmune case. Therefore it is up to scientists to see the statistical... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

We do listen

If a patient states that implants have made sick, the removal of the implant is one of the option. I would like to know if you had different experience and if so please share your experience with us and we will direct you in the right direction.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD
New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

The numbers don't lie

Tyknee, Doctors do listen to their patients. "Ill" is a very broad term. It has been well established through very large studies with thousands of woman, done at very reputable institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, that the collagen vascular type "illnesses", like lupus, that were feared to be occuring from silicone gel have no relation to the gel. In other words, these woman would likely have developed the illnesses regardless of whether or not... more

Kenneth R. Francis, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

www.francisnyplasticsurgery.com

We Are Listening

We are listening. As doctors, we are committed to the health of our patients. As doctors, we have to be diligent in understanding the scientific basis of medicine; we rely on careful examination of clinical studies, the underlying science and statisitical validity. Years of clinical research into the possible association of breast implants with various diseases has shown no statistically valid relationship. We have to separate coincidence from cause-and-effect; distinguish... more

Paul C. Zwiebel, MD
Denver Plastic Surgeon

www.pzwiebel.com

Doctors listening to patients about breast implants

The other answers to this question are quite good. I would add that the key to your question is that it's not that doctors say it's "not possible" that silicone breast implants could cause diseases but that there is no scientific evidence to support that they do and now there is lots of scientific evidence that say they don't. It is easy to make a claim that something causes something else and be absolutely certain of it. Reliability of sources is not the issue. You... more

Scott L. Replogle, MD
Denver Plastic Surgeon

Patient's Choice

If a patient has any anxiety or concerns and wants to have her implants removed, their reputable Board Certified Plastic Surgeon will discuss with them the risks of the procedure and schedule the removal of the implants. With that being said, I have studied the data, gone to medical school, completed training, become Board Certified in Plastic Surgery, and participated in the WIRB Study. I am a woman and I believe that silicone implants are a safe option. It is a... more

Christine Sullivan, MD
Columbus Plastic Surgeon

Why don't doctors listen when patients say their implants made them sick.

First of all, I will remove implants from any woman who wants them removed for any reason. The decision to have or not have implants is for the patient's to make. That being said - I never, ever tell a patient that implant removal will do anything other than leave their breasts smaller. Breast implants have been studied exhaustively and no causal relationship between implants and any systemic disease has been found. It is true that some women get implants and... more

Lisa L. Sowder, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implants and Illness

Speaking for myself and for most board certified plastic surgeons, we absolutely listen to every complaint from our patients. If you develop an unexplained illness, a thorough history, physical examination, and appropriate laboratory and/or radiologic investigation to develop a differential diagnosis is indicated. Because there is no scientifically proven relationship between currently available breast implants and known illnesses, attribution of the etiology of any... more

Steve Laverson, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

feelbeautiful.com

Breast Implants don't make women sick; Junk science makes doctors sick!

Every doctor is committed to the health and well-being of their patients, first and foremost. Before 4 years of medical school, 5 years of surgery residency, 2 more years of plastic surgical fellowship, and then beginning either academic or private practice, each plastic surgeon graduated from college or university with a degree, usually in the sciences. Many possess dual degrees, advanced degrees, and all of us learned proper scientific methods, including testing hypotheses,... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

Why Don't Doctors Listen to Women Who Say Their Breast Implants Made Them Sick?

Because there is no scientific evidence or double blind statistical studies that have proven implants cause any illness. From MIAMI Dr. Darryl J. Blinski

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Why Don't Doctors Listen to Women Who Say Their Breast Implants Made Them Sick? Why don't women want to have them removed?

I tell my patients that multiple studies have shown that implants do not cause any disease. However, when women state that the implants are the source of these symptoms, it has been my experience that they DO NOT want them removed. Why is that?

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Doctors DO listen to their patients

The scientific evidence does not support a link between implants and diseases or else the FDA would not have allowed the silicone implants back for widespread use. So, if you believe you have a problem, get the implants out and see a rheumatologist as it will be likely that the condition you might have would have occurred regardless of the implants. It's not that we don't listen, you just want us to agree with you and the evidence doesn't support that. more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Implants Causing Illness

Reasearch from many sources done on thousands of women have shown that certain immune system diseases like lupus and others do occur in women with breast implants. They also occur in equal numbers in women without implants. If I have a patient who believes implants (especially slicone gel) can cause disease, or knows somebody who has become ill, I listen to that very closely and will not recommend gel implants for that patient.

John LoMonaco, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

www.DrLoMonaco.com

Breast implants do not cause illness

The question of breast implants and illness has been exhaustively studied and it is clear that they do not cause illness. The problem in blaming medical conditions on implants is that it diverts attention from discovering the true cause of the problem. Plastic surgeons, like all doctors, are obligated to look after the best interests of their patients, so we might well ask why patients don't listen to us!

Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Silicone has been shown to be safe! But, we do listen.....

We do listen. But, just because someone tells you something, even if she believes in what she is saying, doesn't make it true. There has to be some sort of scientific data or facts to support it. This was the problem back in the late 1980's when the whole silicone breast implant scare started. Women that got breast implants when they were in their 20's and 30's, who when the scare started were then in their 30's, 40's, or 50's and had developed rheumatoid... more

Daniel P. Markmann, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

DiscoverTheBeauty.com

Implant problems

Breast implants are the most regulated and studied medical devices in ALL of medicine (this includes devices for heart and brain surgery). This is a very good thing for our patients. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the FDA are primarily concerned with patient safety. Many many research studies have looked at the question that you raise - do implants make patients sick. ALL of the data shows implants cause no increased risk of any systemic illnesses,... more

C. Bob Basu, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

www.basuplasticsurgery.com

Sickness and breast implants

There are women who are probably sick because of some implant complication like infection, but the statement that implants per se cause or do not cause illness is epidemiological data over tens of thousands of women grouped together statistically.

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Implants and illness

It is unlikely that illness is related to your implants. There have been a lot of studies over the past 15 or so years looking at this, and there has been no association.