Breast Implants Sickness And The Cancer Link

Women chase the perfect look, and changing their breasts is one of the first things they want to do. Silicone implants can improve their look but also have severe side effects. 

In this blog post, you will learn about breast implants sickness. Discover why breast implants make you sick and can even cause cancer.

The History Of Breast Implants

Breast augmentation is surgery plastic surgeons perform to enhance a woman's breasts. This procedure began in the late 1890s. Doctors injected liquid paraffin into women's breasts. This approach led to infections. 

The tissue near the injections hardened and created lumps in the breasts. They tried implanting glass, ivory balls, or other materials when this method failed. All these methods failed due to infections and the body's rejection of foreign materials. 

In the 1920s, surgeons began experimenting with fat transplants. They removed fat from the buttocks or abdomen and transplanted it to the breasts.

This procedure was also often unsuccessful because the body reabsorbed the fat. It left the patient with lumpy or asymmetrical breasts. There were also scars on the part where the surgeon removed the fat.

In the 1940s, Japanese prostitutes injected themselves with non-medical grade silicone.

Japanese Prostitutes Injected Themselves With Silicone

Japanese prostitutes believed that American soldiers preferred women with large chests. This practice also became popular in the United States among strippers in Las Vegas. Japan banned silicone injections in the late 1940s due to serious complications. 

Some problems included infections and chronic inflammation. The silicone migrated to the organs and created tumor-like lumps.

In the 1950s, polyvinyl sponge implants became a thing. These implants shrank fast and hardened once inside the body. Complications included infection, inflammation, and cancer. Removal of these implants was also problematic and caused permanent disfigurement.

Dr. Frank Gerow and Dr. Thomas Cronin were two plastic surgeons from Texas. In the early 1960s, they developed the first silicone breast implants. 

Gerow came up with the idea while kneading a plastic bag filled with blood. He contacted Dow Corning Corporation and suggested they develop a prototype from silicone. 

Dow Corning agreed and developed a mammary prosthesis device. It consisted of a shell filled with silicone gel. It was not long after that they found their first silicone breast patient.

The First Silicone Breast Augmentation Patient

In 1962, Timmie Jean Lindsey, a 30-year-old mother, contacted Gerow. She wanted a tattoo removed. But later, she became the first woman to have silicone breast implants. Two years later, Dow Corning took the implants to market. 

Silicone breast implant surgery had complications such as infections and inflammation. The body reacts by encapsulating foreign material from the rest of the body. 

This safeguard causes the tissue around the breast implants to form scar tissue. The scar tissue can sometimes constrict the implants, causing pain and, in some cases, rupture. 

When the first implant came to market, there were no safety studies. Everyone at the time believed silicone was a biologically inert substance. Internal company documents revealed that the body reacted to breast implants.

Later saline implants came to market.

The Start Of Saline Breast Implants

Saline implants have a silicone outer shell filled with a sterile saltwater solution. They were first marketed in the 1960s. However, no one evaluated them for safety like silicone implants until much later.

The FDA did not gain the authority to approve medical devices until 1976. They had a backlog of products to evaluate. Therefore, it took years before they turned their attention to saline-filled implants. 

It was first believed that saline implants were safer than silicone implants. Women with saline implants had similar side effects as those with silicone implants. There were still infections, scar tissue, rupture, or deflation.

Saline implants could ripple, harden, change shape, or move out of position. Women sometimes reported loss of feeling in the nipple or the breast.

In some cases, the implants could also interfere with breastfeeding. It also made the detection of breast cancer more difficult.

Despite that, Dows Corning developed more sophisticated breast implants.

Further Silicone Breast Implant Developments

In the early 1970s, they used a thinner silicone shell. These implants looked and felt softer and more like natural breasts than earlier models.

Dow Corning also developed a double-lumen implant. It had a saline-filled compartment around a silicone gel implant. This solution allowed the surgeon to fill the outer lumen with varying amounts of saline. 

The FDA regulated pharmaceutical products but not medical devices. It wasn't until 1976 that the FDA began to monitor new devices. Silicone breast implants have been on the market for almost 15 years. Therefore, the FDA grandfathered them in.

Many women with breast implants experienced silicone-related health problems. Silicone breast manufacturers started to get in legal trouble.

Silicone Implant Manufactures Got In Legal Trouble

In 1984, Maria Stern, a double mastectomy patient, had lots of health-related problems. Her lawyer discovered that Dow Corning knew about the toxic effects of silicon. 

The jury awarded Stern monetary compensation. Dow Corning and other silicone implant manufacturers still said that implants were safe. They never admitted that silicone was toxic, even after several lawsuits.

Court findings showed that the company received lots of complaints from plastic surgeons. Dow Corning's breast implants appeared oily and leaked.

In 1988, the FDA changed the classification of breast implants to class 3 medical devices. Meanwhile, the lawsuits against manufacturers continued. There were hundreds of lawsuits filed against breast implant manufacturers.

Now that you have learned the history of breast implants let's look at why women do this procedure.

Reasons Why Women Change Their Breasts

There are different reasons women do breast augmentation. Breast augmentation is one of the top five plastic surgery procedures. A breast augmentation can change the appearance of a woman's body. They appear more youthful and vibrant.

The number one reason women get implants is unhappiness with their breast size. Society sees large breasts as attractive and a sign of youth and femininity.

Another popular reason women get breast implants is to change the shape of the breast. Breasts come in many shapes, some flatter, round, or elongated. Implants also have various shapes, including the perfect circle or a teardrop-style.

Symmetry is another reason why women get breast implants. Aging breasts change over time. It is normal for one breast to have a different shape than the opposite breast. Many women seek perfect symmetry. 

Small-breasted women might feel embarrassed about their appearance with or without clothes. The most common concern is the difficulty of finding clothes that fit well. Breast implants can give patients a fuller bust. 

Sometimes, women want to change their breasts after pregnancy and weight loss.

Losing Weight And Childbirth Can Alter Breasts

When a person loses weight, some fat disappears in the chest. This can make a woman's breasts appear smaller and saggy. Pregnancy and childbirth can also alter the shape and size of a woman's breasts. 

Breast augmentation can correct any unhappiness with a previous procedures. In some cases, an implant may have shifted or become asymmetrical. Others may not like how unnatural their results look. They may desire a different implant size.

Another reason women augment their breasts is after a mastectomy. It is when you remove your breasts if you have cancer. Breast augmentation can restore a woman's breasts after a mastectomy. 

There are various breast implants that surgeons use.

Different Kinds Of Breast Implants

Breast augmentation is surgery plastic surgeons perform to enhance a woman's breasts. Some women combine breast implants with a breast lift. A breast lift fixes the appearance on the outside.

A breast augmentation is an increase of breast volume. In this procedure, the surgeon places implants behind the breast tissue or under the chest muscle.

We don't measure implants in cup sizes like bras but in cubic centimeters (cc). For every 150-200 cc, you can expect to go up one or one-and-a-half cup sizes. Most implants are between 300cc and 400cc, but they can range from 100cc to 800cc.

Breast augmentation happens at an outpatient surgery clinic or in a hospital. Most women receive general anesthesia for this surgery, which means you will be asleep and pain-free. If you receive local anesthesia, you will be awake and receive medicine to numb or block the pain.

The two primary materials in breast implants are silicone and saline. Both materials are FDA-approved. Silicone breast implants have a silicone outer shell filled with silicone gel.

They come in different sizes and have either smooth or textured shells. The FDA approved silicone implants for women age 22 or older.

Silicone implants feel and look more like natural breast tissue than saline implants. They are also less likely to develop wrinkles or folds. Silicone implants are the most popular choice. However, there is a slight chance that silicone gel-filled implants may leak. 

The gel should remain within the implant shell. However, some gel may escape into the breast implant pocket. Regardless, a leaking silicone implant will not collapse.

There are also form-stable implants that look like gummy bears.

Form-Stable Implants And Other Breast Implants

Form-stable implants are a firmer type of silicone than regular gel-filled implants. This property allows them to maintain their shape even if the implant shell becomes damaged or broken. 

Some call them gummy bear implants, as the silicone gel inside resembles that of a gummy bear. Tear-drop implants are a type of form-stable implant.

In recent years, gummy bear implants have become more popular. However, they may not always be the best option for cosmetic surgery patients.

Their firmness works well for breast reconstructions. However, they may feel too firm for cosmetic breast augmentation patients. 

Highly cohesive breast implants are the same as form-stable implants. They use a firmer type of silicone gel to create a stable form. Smooth implants are round, silky soft, and move naturally with the breast tissue.

Textured implants can be rougher or smoother. The texture allows the implant to stick to the scar tissue that forms during healing. This effect holds the implant in place, minimizing potential rotation.

Saline implants are a cheaper way to change the breasts.

How Saline Implants Look And Feel

Saline implants have a silicone outer shell filled with a sterile saltwater solution. They offer a uniform shape, firmness, and feel.

The surgeon inserts them into the body and then fills them. The FDA approved saline implants for breast augmentation in women age 18 or older.

Saline breast implants may leak if ruptured, but this is harmless. If saline-filled implants collapse, the body will absorb and expel the saline. Another benefit is that they allow for precise fine-tuning of volume. Saline implants remain popular due to their lower cost. 

Structured implants are saline-filled and offer all the advantages of saline implants. Their inner construction has many chambers, which give them more form and stability. 

The advantage of structured saline implants is a lower risk of rupture. In the U.S., round breast implants are available in both saline and silicone. 

They are the same shape and don't often run the risk of rotating out of place. Tear-drop implants have a narrower contour above and more fullness below the nipple.

There are various surgeries surgeons use to change women's breasts. Let's look at these procedures.

How The Surgery Works

There are various breast augmentation surgery procedures. In the most common technique, the surgeon cuts the underside of the breast. It's in the natural skin fold. 

The surgeon places the implant through this opening. Your scar may be a little more visible if you are younger, thin, and have not had children.

The surgeon may place the implant through a cut under the arm. During the surgery, he may use an endoscope, a tool with a camera, and surgical instruments. There will be no scar around the breast, but you may have a visible scar on the underside of your arm.

The surgeon may cut the edge of the areola. It's a darkened area around the nipple. Women may have more problems breastfeeding with this method.

Scar tissue can also cause the breast to become hard or misshapen. The surgeon may place the saline implant through a cut near the belly button and fill it.

Where he cuts depends on the type and size of the implant and your body type. After inserting the breast implants, the surgeon will close the incision with stitches. He will then wrap the breasts with gauze and give an elastic support bra to minimize swelling.

A typical breast augmentation only lasts one to two hours. You won't be able to drive for 24 to 48 hours after the procedure, so someone has to drive you home.

Breast augmentation surgery once required a significant amount of recovery time. Today, patients can often return to work shortly after the operation. The patient must reduce strenuous activity for two or three weeks and be careful when lifting objects over 10 pounds(4.5 kg).

There are several side effects of breast augmentation. 

Breast Implants Sickness

Breast implants sickness can cause side effects such as:

Some of the complications need medical treatment or further surgery to correct them. If a soft gel silicone implant ruptures, the silicone may spread into the breast. Polyurethane-coated implants can also cause a temporary skin reaction.

Scar tissue forms around breast implants. Sometimes, it tightens, making the breast feel abnormally firm and misshapen. Mild cases may cause minor or moderate pain. Advanced ones feel tight and painful as tissue squeezes the implant.

Some patients develop severe joint pain and muscle aches after getting implants. This effect is due to autoimmune reactions to silicone leakage.

Fever within the first 48 hours after surgery is normal healing. However, a fever that emerges later could indicate an infection or inflammatory reaction to the implants. 

Shortness of breath or problems getting air requires urgent medical care. This step is critical if you also have chest pain. In rare cases, fluid around implants can press on the lungs, making breathing hard. Blood clots from surgery can also cause breathing issues.

Women may also experience neurological problems.

Implants Can Lead To Neurological Problems

Incisions often heal within about two weeks. However, an underlying issue like infection can delay proper healing. Poor circulation, diabetes, and nutritional deficits can also affect wound repair. 

Calcium deposits and inflammatory lumps may form around implants. They're generally harmless but may be uncomfortable and appear on mammograms. Issues causing pain or hardening may need surgical removal.

Significant weight loss deflates natural breast tissue. It makes implants more visible and vulnerable to wrinkling and rippling. 

Women with silicone implants may experience neurological symptoms after getting breast implants. They can lead to: 

Breast implants sickness may also cause cancer.

Breast Implant-Associated Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL)

Breast implants may cause Breast Implant-Associated Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). BIA-ALCL is not a form of breast cancer but rather a cancer of the immune system. In most cases, BIA-ALCL occurs in the scar tissue and fluid near the implant.

In some cases, it can spread throughout the body. BIA-ALCL is more common in breast implants with a textured surface. Cosmetic surgeons now use breast implants with a smooth surface.

We don't know why people with textured breast implants sometimes develop BIA-ALCL. One possible cause is a chronic infection around the implant. Over time, this can lead to cancer of your immune cells.

The FDA reports that a majority of BIA-ALCL cases come from Allergan's textured implants. Allergan discontinued these implants and asked surgeons and hospitals to return them.

BIO CELL textured tissue expanders were also part of the recall. Tissue expanders are balloon-like devices that healthcare providers implant after a mastectomy. 

There is a low risk of developing BIA-ALCL. It can be fixed in most patients by removing the implant and surrounding scar tissue. The main symptoms of BIA-ALCL are persistent swelling. You can have a mass or pain in the area of the breast implant. 

The symptoms of BIA-ALCL include:

The most common symptoms are persistent swelling and a mass or pain in the area of the breast implant. These symptoms may show up years after the implant surgery.

Researchers are investigating them to better understand why they happen. ALCL is a rare form of cancer. Even if you have implants, your chance of getting ALCL is slim.