This certainly demands your attention.
It was on the 8th of September, 2022.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally started creating awareness.
Yes, it was about breast implants' health complications, risks, and ill effects.
Severe illnesses that are caused due to breast implants even include cancers. These include Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) and various other lymphomas. They arise from the scar tissue around the breast implants.
This makes me shout out loud that breast implants aren't for everyone!
Let me tell you everything from scratch.
October is breast cancer awareness month. There is pink-washing everywhere on social media. There is enough information about breast cancer already. Let us know more about breast implant surgery and breast implants.
Before jumping into the topic, here are some cool stuff for you.
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In this blog post, you will learn about
What are breast implants?
Who can use breast implants and when?
What is the cost of breast implant surgery?
Are breast implants safe? Or do they cause certain health risks?
What are some complications that are caused by breast implants?
How long do breast implants last?
Do breast implants cause cancer?
How to maintain your breast implants?
Conclusion.
It's estimated that 8 out of every 1,000 women in the U.S. have had some type of breast implant in their lifetime. 60% of these procedures were done for cosmetic reasons. The average age for having this cosmetic surgery is 34 years old.
What are breast implants?
Breast implants are silicone-based or saline-based prostheses. They are surgically inserted into your breast for cosmetic or surgical reasons. They usually increase the size of your breasts.
Who can go for breast implant surgery and When?
One can have breast implants for many reasons.
Breast implants help increase your breast size.
Breast implants can recreate the breasts after surgical mastectomy.
Breast implants can be used to correct asymmetric breasts for cosmetic reasons.
Needless to say, many women prefer breast implants even for psychological benefits.
It can increase their self-esteem and help them feel better.
That being said, breast implants aren't for everyone. If you are considering getting one, please read this entire blog post. You might as well change your opinion later.
The plastic surgeon should assess your fitness. This should be done even before considering you for breast implant surgery.
How is breast implant surgery done?
Breast implant surgery, as the name suggests, is a surgical procedure.
The plastic surgeon will place the breast implants under general anesthesia.
The entire surgical procedure if you are fit and healthy would last for an hour or two approximately.
To put it simply, the surgeon will cut the skin under the breast, make a pocket and place the implant. The skin is later stitched. There should be enough time given for healing.
In India, the average cost for breast implant surgery is anywhere between 70,000 INR to 1,50,000 INR.
Surprisingly, this isn't as easy as it seems.
There are several risk factors and complications that are associated with it.
Are breast implants safe?
Unfortunately not always.
Studies have proven that breast implants can cause a wide range of illnesses.
They can range from short-term illnesses to life-threatening illnesses.
Short-term illnesses are usually seen post-operatively.
These include
Redness of the skin around the implant.
Burning sensation in the breast.
Pain or discomfort in the breast.
Swelling in the breast that doesn't subside.
Nipple discharge.
Surgical area not healing properly.
Thinning of the skin over the surgical site.
Colour changes in and around the surgical site.
Incorrectly positioned implants.
Swollen lymph nodes.
Rotation of the implant within the breast.
Hardening of breast tissue.
Nerve damage to the nipples can also occur in some cases.
In such cases, consult the plastic surgeon who has operated on you as soon as possible.
Despite these minor illnesses, breast implants cause a wide range of serious illnesses.
Dr. Kevin Brenner, a plastic surgeon stated so. The number of serious illnesses caused due to breast implants is ever-increasing.
Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL), is a rare type of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. This is known to be associated with the scar capsule that surrounds the breast implant.
This affects the T-Lymphocytes.
This is a serious type of cancer.
ALCL is often diagnosed by
Imaging Studies, CT Scans, MRI, and PET scans.
Blood works, Complete Blood Counts (CBC).
The gold standard test to confirm ALCL is a biopsy.
Can breast implants cause cancer?
Yes. Studies have shown that breast implants may cause cancer, that is ALCL as mentioned above.
How long do breast implants last?
This depends from person to person. But, usually, no breast implant lasts for a lifetime. On average breast implants last for 10 years.
How to maintain your breast implant?
Here are some quick tips to maintain your breast implant.
Get adequate rest for the first month after the surgery.
Avoid alcohol.
Do not sleep on the sides for at least 6 weeks.
Do not wear an underwire bra for 6 weeks post your surgery.
Do not do any vigorous exercise, be it running, or jogging. Avoid them all for the first 6 weeks.
After 6 weeks, gradually get back into exercise.
Then, support your breasts as much as you can.
Wear a good-fitting bra.
That can prevent sagging.
Conclusion
With everything that’s said and done, breast implants might still cause you harm.
With all the care taken, breast implants might still not work for you.
Always be aware of the harm. It’s not a bad idea anyway.
Also, a fact to be mentioned is this.
Almost all the patients complained of breast illness after the implant surgery.
They got back to their health once the breast implants were removed.
Science and healthcare industries are growing at a rapid scale.
So, let us only hope for the better.
May there be more awareness creation for a better tomorrow.
Related Links
Some organizations are constantly striving to raise awareness for breast health.
Personal Note:
Special thanks to my lovelies Robyn and Terri for creating awareness. They are the founders of GPAC United. They found this as they are breast implant illness victims themselves.
Their work is beyond amazing. They are the first who educated me about breast implants.
My heartfelt gratitude to you both!
Connect with them on LinkedIn.
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