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Is Sheyla Hershey, Biggest Breast Implants in the World, in Danger?

Model Sheyla Hershey's latest breast implant surgery took her to the extremely large size 38KKK. Because safety standards actually exist in the US and no doctor would do the surgery, she went to Brazil. What kind of risks is Ms. Hershey taking by pushing the limits of her breast implant size?

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26 Doctor Answers | Asked by Real Beauty News in Worldwide

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+15

This is the kind of thing that gives plastic surgery a bad name.

We are supposed to be caregivers, not merchants. That means we are supposed to think about what is best for the woman, even if she does not have good judgement. Actually, one of the great things about our field is that you can do well (make a very good living) by doing good (taking the best possible care of the patient). No responsible doctor would do this. There are increased risks during surgery, such as the implant coming out through the wound. There are increased risks after surgery,... more

Are giant size implants a good idea?

I agree with everyone else. In a nutshell, no good can come of this. No need to repeat what has already been said.

Breast Augmentation: Bigger may be better, but Giant is not

Plastic Surgeons like all MD's in the US take the Hippocratic Oath "Primum non nocere" which is the Latin phrase meaning "First do no harm". Unfortunately this patient was harmed by these implants that have undoubtedly cause a traction injury resulting in numb nipples, irreparable stretching of her soft tissues, and the acceleration of aging by gravity and weight ( - a lot of weight !) and the inability to find many clothing styles that will fit... more

Huge breast implants

The largest implants available in the US are 800 cc's total volume. The reason for this, is that these giant implants are really too big. What happens is that the tissues holding these heavy implants up, stretch out and cause alot of sagging. Gravity takes over and they fall. That is not attractive...

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

A question of Ethics

There's a difference between a Surgeon and a Contractor. While it's important for a surgeon to give a patient the result that she desires, it's also important to remember that we're doctors- and the concept of 'First Do No Harm' comes to mind. As a surgeon it is our job to educate a patient and, together, we weigh the risks and the benefits of everything we do. When the risk far outweigh the benefits then surgery is not indicated...period. As one of... more

Large breast implants

Very large breast implants significantly increase the possibility of complications and undesired results.

Michael Law, MD

17 reviews

Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

michaellawmd.com

Think twice about traveling for surgery

In terms of the specific risks associated with large implants which have been mentioned by the other plastic surgeons on this site, I have never been a fan of traveling for surgery. Not that her infection couldn't happen in the United States, but there are definite risks to going abroad for surgery. I like my patients to have a strong support network in place to help with their recovery, whether complicated or not, and it is just not the same when you travel out of the US. more

Health problems following large implants

I have had two patients that have had these large implants inserted. Only bad can happen. All of my colleagues are correct in their responses. I had one woman with 800+ implants in place for over ten years and she developed kyphosis of the spine where her spinal chord bent forward so that she walked like the hunchback of Notre dame. The surgeon who places this large an implant into someone has to make a LARGE pocket which requires cutting the blood... more

Huge implants = Huge mistake

YES, this is a problem. Huge implants lead to stretching of the skin, loss of nipple and/or breast sensation, rib deformities, and more. NEVER a good idea. She'll need a lot of reconstruction once these are removed.

Carmen Kavali, MD

11 reviews

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

UPDATE: Sept 1, 2010 *

She can expect BIG problems! As the other authors mentioned, she'll stretch, sag, and generally worsen in appearance with time. More immediate issues of course are healing problems, musculoskeletal discomfort in the back and neck, and overall loss of mobility and decrease in physical activity. Overall, I'm afraid she'll regret her decision:( * According to her website, Sheyla is having problems with infection and is considering removing her implants. ... more

All you can stuff in Breast Augmentation

I agree with my other colleagues. The cynical comment that "Life is a fatal process" has never been more apt. Whenever one is in doubt, all you have to do is observe NATURE and let it guide you. Skin while lovely in infancy and pre-teen years, rarely keeps is resiliency and smoothness in our later years. Its pliability and tightness become compromised by exposure to light radiation and the process of aging. As we age, our skin thins, droops, wrinkles and becomes courses. Large... more

Unnaturally large breast implants may cause physical injury

Big is not necessarily better! When someone has unnaturally large breast implants as Ms. Hershey, they are at risk of developing physical injury due to the heavy loading factors affecting her musculoskeletal and nerve systems. She may develop symptoms such as lower and upper back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, numbness in her fingers, headaches, and breast pain. Obviously she is at risk for breast sagging associated with thinned, stretched-out skin. Activities of daily living, vocational,... more

Proud to be an American

I agree that no good can come of these implants and they look ridiculous at best. There is no way these implants will maintain their position for more than a year and 100% chance of complications requiring re operation, in my opinion.

Sheyla Hershey has her Huge Breast Implants Removed.

According to her blog, Sheyla Hershey is recovering well from her latest surgery. After two months of trying to salvage her infected breast implants, on September 9, 2010, she finally had them removed. This is this first, and most important step in her recovery. Once the infection has cleared, she will be able to have breast implants again, and I was happy to read that Sheyla has decided that when she is able to have them replaced, she is going to choose smaller breast implants. A... more

Joseph Mele, MD

4 reviews

Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon

www.DrMele.com

Very large breast implants

In the short term she is at risk of wound separation, tissue breakdown and implant exposure. This would require implant removal. With the size and weight of the implants her breast tissue has been over stretched and the ribs beneath these implants are certainly concave. The deformity associated with removing the implants would be severe. In the long term, the weight of the implants will cause premature and significant drooping of her breasts and she will very likely need to go with a... more

Largest Breast Implants

That is a recipe for disaster. Large implants put a lot of wear and tear on your tissue and complicate matters later. She may be happy with them in the short term but will be hating it later when multiple surgeries will need to be done with poor outcomes.

Mainly local risks associated with the weight of the implants

She will likely experience thining of the breast tissuw and skin over time, and she may well develop problems with posture, including back and neck pain.

Sheyla Hershey and the World's Largest Breast Implants - Plastic Surgery Dangers

Sheyla Hershey underwent repeat Breast implantation to acheive a record for breast implant volume. Naturally, the size of these implants and the indications for surgery do not conform to the professional and ethical standards defined by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or other professional societies. The goal of breast augmentation is volume enhancement of the female breasts. Extremely large breast implants may cause loss of tissue perfusion and risk extrusion or infection.... more

Is Sheyla Hershey, Biggest Breast Implants in the World, in Danger?

Breast Implant selection is done by Tissue Based Planning. Which recognises the amount and ability of tissues to withstand the extra load of the new implant. Deviating from these principles would cause tissue failure over time similar to overcrowding and overloading an elevator

Complications from large breast implants

In addition to what's been said below, Sheyla Hershey will likely develop back and neck pain due to the traction on her spine. The longer she waits, the higher the chance that this back pain will be chronic and irreversible. She may also develop numbness and tingling down her arms due to pressure on the nerves (brachial plexus) which extend down the arm. Finally, she may develop sleep apnea which means that the weight of her breasts can actually cause her to stop... more

Giant breast implants

As stated in all other posts, we as physicians should take the patient's health and well-being into account first and foremost. It is my hopes that no board certified plastic surgeon would jeopardize these over any patient's desires. Issues like this have subjected her to increased problems and complications in the future, which are virtually irreparable.

Risks of extremely large implants

Aside from the obvious reasons (i.e. extreme outward appearance, major limits in activity level, etc.), there are actual medical implications that could occur from choosing an implant this large. First being, pressure necrosis (also known as pressure ulcer/bedsore); these are open wounds that form whenever prolonged pressure is applied to skin. With an implant this large, the skin is likely to experience a great deal of pressure due to the outward projection of the implant. Sensory changes... more

Danger with very large implants

Thank you for your inquiry. Without question Ms. Hershey is putting herself in danger. It does not surprise me that she had to go outside of the US to get these implants. As noted in some of the other answers, we as physicians should first do no harm. Sometimes this means refusing to operate on someone who does not understand the potential risks involved. We have an ethical duty to try and protect the patient from adverse outcomes. This young woman is likely... more

Sheyla Hershey's Ultra Large Breast Implants

Professional athletes sacrifice their health every day to perform at the highest level, and Shayla Hershey is doing the same thing. While her XXXL bust is not life threatening, as other responders suggest they have many locally deleterious effects over time. Shayla needs KKK to do her job, is aware of the many associated problems, but believes the advantages of these implants (at least over the short term) for her outweigh the disadvantages.

Implants are too big

A plastic surgeon in the US would not do his because there are consequences early and late that come with implants such as these. I agree with what others have said

Absolutely

There are a multitude of risk factors with extremely large implants. In the battle between a biological tissue and a synthetic implant, the implant always wins. The biological tissue will always atrophy, thin out while the synthetic material will persists. That is why some implants will erode through the skin that becomes progressively thin or even wear down the underlying ribs. As much as the skin is being pushed forward by her large implants, the same force or pressure is being exerted on... more