I have been tested by every doctor I can find and had blood, urine, and heart tests. I have no other medical issues. Yet I am losing hair, have chronic insomnia and chronic breast pain since revision on 19 Sept. I am positive I have Breast Implant Illness and need advice as to how to fix this.
There is no absolute data to confirm breast implant illness. It would also be uncommon so soon after revision to have these symptoms. Also had you had implants prior? As you stated revision in sept. I would look into other reasons for stress in your life. If all else fails then have you implants removed and see if symptoms improve. There is no one who will guarantee that this will improve symptoms. Good luck.
Research has shown that no amount of data can change peoples’ minds, and you seem to be certain with your diagnosis, so I won’t try, other than to say that breast implant illness is as real as a flat Earth. You should know though that you could have all of these issues with a similar surgery that didn’t involve breast implants. If you really want to be ‘fixed’, just take your implants out. Best of luck!
Breast Implant Illness is not a disease that can be diagnosed by testing. Some women with breast implants have concerns that various symptoms they have might be related to their implants. There are certainly Facebook groups and chat rooms devoted to Breast Implant Illness although it as yet has not been scientifically proven to exist. Prior studies aimed at whether autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma or lupus could be related to implants showed no increased risk of disease in women with implants versus without. Removal of implants cannot guarantee that symptoms will resolve. However, you chose to have implants placed and you can choose to have them removed, although you have to realize that surgical removal carries some risk of complications and deformity, as well as expense, and may not improve your symptoms. Talk to your plastic surgeon.
Your symptoms sound like they may indicate a thyroid problem and certainly chronic stress. "Breast implant illness" is not
a known disease though your symptoms are real. Removing the implants is worth considering to eliminate that worry, and focus on your symptoms. An endocrinologist may he helpful.
As you can see, all of the answers prior to this are telling you in a nice way that they do not believe your implants are causing your symptoms.
I recommend strongly that you read a book called "Undoctored".
Good luck.
Thank you for sharing your question and I am sorry to hear of your medical issues. Assuming you feel that your implants are the cause, simply have them removed (often with an in-office procedure) for a test of improvement. Best wishes.
Hello and thank you for your question. I am sorry you are having health issues and are unable to determine a cause or a cure. My advice is to seek the care of a board certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate you in person. Understanding that there is no test for Breast Implant Illness and that implant removal may or may not improve your symptoms is critical in moving forward with a plan to remove your implants. Making an informed choice will help you decide the best plan moving forward. Good luck!
Hello and thank you for your excellent question. If you cannot find any reason for your illness aside from your breast implants, then it may be reasonable to have them removed. It is best to answer your question during a face-to-face evaluation, when you can discuss your goals and expectations for the procedure, and you can have a physical examination to evaluate for that procedure. I recommend that you find a board-certified, or board-eligible plastic surgeon with whom you are comfortable. Be sure to have all of your questions answered during a face-to-face meeting with your surgeon, and review before and after pictures of similar patients whom have had this procedure. If you have any questions, call our office for assistance. Good luck!
Breast implant illness is a viable concern for those patients who have diminishing quality of life and chronic health conditions that they believe are likely caused by their implant or ruptured breast implants. The fact of the matter is that implant complications are possible; and there is a finite risk that your health is deteriorating (whether from breast implants or another source). Our goal as plastic surgeons is to help you achieve a higher quality of life and thus it is important that you obtain expert plastic surgery care so that your options for removal are discussed. You may find that after explantation, your symptoms may improve or that you have residual issues not attributable to the implants. In either case, I would be happy to discuss those options with you. Together with your PCP, we can look into the root causes of all of your complaints.
Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian