I have never received a medical device card for my breast implants even after contacting my surgeon. What should I do now?

Hello and thank you for your  question. The staff at your surgeon's office or the facility where the surgery was performed should be able to give you the information you need by looking at the OP report or OR records. I would  try to contact them again. Best wishes and good luck,

Pejman Aflaki, M.D.

Johns Hopkins-trained double board-certified plastic surgeon

Hi and welcome to our forum!I am sorry to hear of your illness. The medical device card is usually given to the patient on the day of surgery. If it was omitted, the information can usually be retrieved from your operating surgeon or can be found directly from the operative report, which can be made available to you at your request from your surgeon or from the facility where the procedure was performed.Best wishes...

My practice documents in each patient record the implant manufacturer name, number of CCs, date of implant insertion, and serial number. This information is used should an implant require removal and replacement.  The staff at the plastic surgeon's office that performed your breast augmentation should be able to give you a copy of this information even if they do not have the card.
Records are generally archived for seven years from the date of surgery, but this policy may vary from surgeon to surgeon.   Several recent publications have estimated the risk of developing anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) in individuals with TEXTURED breast implants. The FDA reports that ALCL may develop in 1 in between 3,817 to 30,000 women with textured breast implants.  As of this date, the risk appears to be very small. The FDA has not recommended removal or replacement of textured breast implants or tissue expanders in asymptomatic patients.
An MRI can be performed when an ultrasound or mammography fails to provide adequate information. The most common test for ALCL is to take a biopsy of an enlarged lymph node and check it for lymphoma cells. In most cases, ALCL is found in the scar tissue and fluid near the implant but can be widespread. 

You can also request the medical records from the surgery center or hospital where you had the procedure done and the implants will be recorded there as well.  

Dear akzang93,
I suggest you to contact your plastic surgeon in order to find out which implants were used in your case. 
Daniel Barrett, MD

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  Assuming your surgeon enrolled your implants, you should be able to contact the respective medical companies (Allergan, mentor, sientra) to discover the brand and style of implants used.  Admittedly the easiest solution is to continue to work with your surgeon's office to obtain your medical records to find out the relevant information.  Hope this helps.

 I am sure that your surgeon did discuss what type of implants you were getting during your consultation. Plus, a mammagram can show if they are gel or saline implants. You can also be examined by a plastic surgeon to know if you have gel or saline implants. You can also contact the facility for a copy of your records.

Hi AkzangI'm sorry that you are not well.You are entitled to your medical information by law.  It may be that you will have to sign a release form due to privacy laws.  You are also entitled to get your information in a timely fashion.  In Texas, timely means within two weeks.I would suggest calling the doctor's office and explain your situation and that you need the implant information.  Inform them that you are not well and need to find out the information.  Ask them what they require for you to get that information.  If you are in a big rush, call them and ask them if they can prepare it for you and you can pick it up.If all else fails, you can inform them that you will talk to the Medical board if needed.All the best.sek

I am sorry you are having these issues.  If you are not able to obtain the information from your surgeon you can contact the facility where you had breast augmentation surgery.  You also can contact the manufacturer of your implants.  Regardless of the type of implants you can elect to have them removed at any time.  The specific implant information is not needed in order to remove them.

I am sorry to hear about your concerns after breast augmentation surgery. Contacting your plastic surgeon, the surgical facility, and/or the breast implant manufacturer should provide you with the information you are seeking. Regardless of the type of breast implant  involved, it sounds like you are heading towards breast implant removal and capsulectomy surgery.    Some general thoughts may be helpful to:You will find, that there is no consensus among plastic surgeons, whether or not there is a link between breast implants and the medical conditions of concern.   In other words, as of today, there is no scientific "causation" shown thus far.  The main theory currently involves a complex interaction of breast implant material with the patient's immune system,  Involvement of bacteria/fungal/virus/other adjuvants, as well as the patient's specific genetic makeup. It is theorized that the "wrong combination" of these parameters may lead to autoimmune disease and/or other associated systemic symptoms.   
However, personally  having worked with many patients who have presented with concerns regarding breast implant illness, I think (as thoughtful and humble) physicians, it is important to keep an open mind (even though there is no definitive scientific demonstration of breast implants and specific illnesses except for a very rare lymphoma) and remember (again) that we may very likely do not have a full understanding of breast implants and the potential interactions that may occur with each patient's unique biology.   It is clear, based on the literature and my own anecdotal experience, that a significant percentage of patients who undergo breast implant removal surgery (and capsulectomy)  do experience improvement in symptomatology. On the other hand, a similarly significant percentage of patients continue to experience symptoms despite breast implant removal/capsulectomy surgery. in my practice, I encourage patients to seek second or third opinions from relevant physicians ( for example, internists, rheumatologists, neurologists, depending on the patient's symptomatology profile), prior to proceeding with breast implant removal surgery.
 
  I hope this helps.