Removing Breast Implants Due to Illness

asked 3 years ago by tspag
Latest answer by Steven Wallach, MD
Question viewed 5,421 times
Tags: health

What is your opinion on women wanting their breast implants removed due to illness? Why don't doctors mention this procedure to women wanting their saline breast implants out? I have women contacting me on a daily basis asking who they should see to have their saline breast implants removed since they have the same exact symptoms as I had prior to having mine out. Most doctors don't even mention getting the en-bloc and leave the capsule in. I find the women who don't get them out en-bloc only get sicker while the one's like myself who do get this extra procedure gain most of their health back. What is your opinion on this?

9 answers to Removing Breast Implants Due to Illness

Implant Capsule Problems

Usually the plastic surgeon who placed the implants can also remove the implants for cosmetic, psychological, or medical purposes. Saline implants usually have no significant shell since they do not have any silicone gel present, but a thick capsule around a saline implant may be removed if it is present. When implants are placed we do a medical history review. If there are no prior medical issues or illnesses it has been accepted that implants will not cause any illnesses... more

James Apesos, MD
Dayton Plastic Surgeon

Implant removal and health

There have been many studies that have shown no association of collagen vascular disorders with breast implants. This is what originally kept silicone implants off the market for about 15 years.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Rare issue.

Hello, I have removed implants in a few women who wanted them out for these kinds of reasons. I did tell them that afterward things might not change with the illness about which they were concerned. This has usually been the case. With this being said, I feel it is the patient's body and I will do what she requests as long as it does not seem to be harmful. Best Regards, John Di Saia MD

John P. Di Saia, MD
Orange Plastic Surgeon

No conspiracy exists

Removing breast implants and leaving them out is a big deal. It may leave the breasts deformed. On the other hand, science has proven that the implants are not linked to systemic illnesses. I do acknowledge (and have on this site before), that despite this, some women seem to experience improvement in happiness and health after removal of implants- I have seen this, but it is very rare. In my practice, I tell patients exactly the same thing. If they want the implants out, I am happy to... more

Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

What exactly is your question?

What exactly is your question? You seem to making some generalizations and it is unclear what your issue is. If you are asking about the association between implants and illness, there is no scientific evidence to support that claim. However, many women do choose to have their implants taken out if they have coincidental autoimmune or other concerns. When the implants are taken out, in most cases the capsule is left in place. However, if the patient wants that capsule out and it is... more

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

Breast implants do not cause any illnesses.

Hi. It is clear that you do not believe this. Your experience is that you had capsulectomies and implant removal, and then you got better. But,you see,from a scientific point of view,you might have gotten better at the same time even with the implants still in. You will never know. If one really looks at the science, there are hundreds of studies on thousands of patients over many years, and there is no evidence at all that implants cause any diseases. Women with implants can get sick,... more

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Not sure what you are asking

Hi there- Breast implants are now among the most thoroughly researched medical devices in history- there is abundant evidence of their safety and no reason to any longer believe they might be implicated in any systemic illness. It is possible, as my colleague points out below, that the saline may become contaminated with bacteria, causing the patient to feel ill, but this is a rare occurrence. Whether or not to remove the implant capsule at the time of implant removal is something that... more

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

Doesn't make sense

There is no scientific evidence to date that implants of any kind cause any illness in women. The past silicone implant episode, in the early 1990's, prompted several studies that demonstrtaed no relationship between silicone implants and illness. Saline devices have been used all along and were never implicated as causing any illnesses. The FDA would never allow this to occur as you have seen by the silicone episode. It took over 10 years to get gel devices back into use in the U.S. after... more

Michael S. Beckenstein, MD
Birmingham Plastic Surgeon

Question not clear

You do not mention what illness you are referring to nor what affect to your health you believe your implants are causing. Also, it is not clear what the capsule has to do with your question. In general, saline implants are not known to cause specific diseases or illness themselves although there are very rare anecdotes about contamination of the saline with various unusual organisms both bacterial and fungal. Explantation of the implants can be contemplated under a number of scenarios... more