10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Getting Breast Implants

Something I didn't have when making the decision to get my breast implants was Informed Consent. Had I known more accurate information of what I was putting in to my body, I really believe that I would have made a different choice. Below is my list of the top ten things I personally wish I would have known before I made the decision to get breast implants.

1. Breast implants are made with heavy metals and a variety of toxic chemicals.

   1. Even before getting implants, I knew I had a nickel allergy - when wearing belts, my stomach would get a rash. Why on earth would I implant something inside my body that I was allergic to?!
      

2. All breast implants are made of silicone. Whether you choose silicone or saline, all implants on the market have an exterior shell made of silicone. What's on the inside may vary, but silicone is what encases it. There is not one that is safer than the other.

   1. "gummy-bear" silicone implants can still bleed/rupture.

   2. saline implants can develop mold inside
      

3. Breast implants are foreign objects placed on top of your most vital organs.

   1. Something else that I didn't realize the importance of. Breast implants are placed on top of your heart, lungs and right next to your thyroid.
      

4. In recent years, a discovery of man-made lymphoma has been connected to breast implants. This kind of cancer is called "BIA-ALCL" aka "Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma". This discovery has caused there to be a black box warning issues on all breast implants however, only the implanting surgeon sees this box/warning. Women who have experienced breast cancer and undergone mastectomies are having these implants recommended to them - how does this make sense?
   

5. Despite what a plastic surgeon may tell you, breast implants are not lifetime devices - they usually only last 8-10 years. Whether you decide to remove them or not, they will always need to be replaced as they continue to age and break down.
   

6. Surgery requires cutting through some crucial muscles - and to repair those for explant takes a specialized surgeon.
   

7. Capsular contraction. This happens when the scar tissue that forms around the breast implant contracts, leading to extreme pain / discomfort and distortion of breast shape as the implant is being squeezed by the scar tissue. The only way to fix this is removing the implant(s) affected and having them redone. There is no guarantee that it won't happen again. This can also develop at any point of time of having the implants - not just within the first year of healing.
   

8. Silent ruptures and gel bleed can happen without you knowing. With silent ruptures, the silicone can leak out in to the scar tissue or even migrate to other areas of the body and deposit, causing a multitude of issues. Gel bleeds can happen as the silicone slowly breaks down and off in to the body.
   

9. If you have a MTHFR gene mutation or existing autoimmune issues, your likelihood of having reactions to breast implants increases. Even if you DON'T have these - the risk for autoimmune related issues rises.
   

10. Breast implants can block effective mammography imaging and thus early detection of breast cancer.