Dear doctors, I have a disease that affects my immune system known as lupus and I was wondering what would happen if I were to get breast implants would it worsen my disease or would it remain the same? Thank you so much in advance for your response.
Answer: No association between implants and lupus Hi Alex and thank you for your question. There have been no scientific studies to show that breast implants would worsen your lupus. I have had several patients with lupus as well as other autoimmune conditions who have undergone breast augmentation and none have had any issues with their breast implants. To make you feel better, I was a chemistry major at Vanderbilt University, and silicone is on the 8th row of the periodic table, along with the other "inert" (means doesn't react with other molecules) substances like helium. Also, many patients with autoimmune disease have joint replacements with prosthetics that are made of silicone, so if silicone was the issue, another material would have been made by now. Lastly, when you are in the store next, check the boxes of infant formula and you will notice that in the ingredients, there are noticeable concentrations of silicone. The bottom line: if you are interested in breast augmentation, think happy thoughts and go to a board certified plastic surgeon with expertise in aesthetic breast surgery for your optimal outcome. I hope this helps and best of luck to you!Sincerely,Dr. Sean Kelishadi
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Answer: No association between implants and lupus Hi Alex and thank you for your question. There have been no scientific studies to show that breast implants would worsen your lupus. I have had several patients with lupus as well as other autoimmune conditions who have undergone breast augmentation and none have had any issues with their breast implants. To make you feel better, I was a chemistry major at Vanderbilt University, and silicone is on the 8th row of the periodic table, along with the other "inert" (means doesn't react with other molecules) substances like helium. Also, many patients with autoimmune disease have joint replacements with prosthetics that are made of silicone, so if silicone was the issue, another material would have been made by now. Lastly, when you are in the store next, check the boxes of infant formula and you will notice that in the ingredients, there are noticeable concentrations of silicone. The bottom line: if you are interested in breast augmentation, think happy thoughts and go to a board certified plastic surgeon with expertise in aesthetic breast surgery for your optimal outcome. I hope this helps and best of luck to you!Sincerely,Dr. Sean Kelishadi
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April 12, 2017
Answer: There is no evidence to suggest implants will impact your lupus so find a surgeon to discuss your options and if you only want a small increase in size, consider fat grafting as an alternative to implants.
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April 12, 2017
Answer: There is no evidence to suggest implants will impact your lupus so find a surgeon to discuss your options and if you only want a small increase in size, consider fat grafting as an alternative to implants.
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