Curious about breast implant removal in Raleigh? If you are a woman who thinks that her breast implants may be making her sick, Blue Water Plastic Surgery will believe you. There is no definitive, objective test to determine if symptoms a woman is experiencing are caused by her breast implants. Diagnosis of Breast Implant Illness aka ‘BII’ is based on symptoms, and frankly on a woman’s’ intuition and knowledge of her own body.
We’ve had patients share that some physicians have been dismissive of their concerns when they describe symptoms that they feel may be caused by their breast implants. We promise you, this will not happen to you in our practice. It’s not a surprise that the removal of breast implants in some women who feel like their implants have made them sick, provides relief, sometimes immediately.
It is important to understand that not all women who have their implants removed for this reason experience an improvement in their symptoms. In these instances, it is presumed that the symptoms are not related to the breast implants.
Breast Explantation Raleigh | Breast Implant Removal Blue Water Plastic Surgery
Breast implants as a whole are dangerous. Our board certified plastic surgeons in Raleigh are not trying to create a business based on the creation of fear of breast implants, and by cautioning all women to remove their breast implants. You should be aware that there are some plastic surgery practices that are essentially running a breast implant removal assembly line.
The solid silicone elastomer shell of breast implants (both silicone gel and saline implants) is what the body is in contact with postoperatively. That material is felt to be biologically inert, and it is a component of many implanted medical devices including others used for plastic surgery and manyused for orthopedic surgery. A systemic illness related to these other, non-breast implant devices containing the solid silicone elastomer has not been observed.
That being said, it is certainly possible that there are some patients who experience a systemic response to the silicone elastomer material and who experience symptoms related to that response. Unfortunately, there is no specific laboratory test or clinical finding that can confirm this diagnosis. So the evaluation and treatment of patients with BII is currently based on symptoms alone.
I perform breast augmentation procedures every week of the year and I am proud to have many, many happy breast augmentation patients. Millions of women worldwide have breast implants with no complications whatsoever. My practice is focused on creating breast enhancements with implants that both look and feel very natural.
A patient who has implants of an appropriate size for her preoperative breast measurements and for her overall body proportions, and who has implants in an appropriate position behind each breast and in relation to the pectoralis major muscles, will be so comfortable with their implants that she will not be conscious of the presence of her implants day-to-day. I feel a great sense of accomplishment when breast augmentation patients return to see me at six or twelve months postop and say things like “They feel and look so natural that I keep forgetting that I have breast implants!”
Women who have breast implants and who experience a feeling that they are unwell or experience specific symptoms that just don’t go away, and which were not present prior to the breast augmentation surgery, should not jump to the conclusion that implants are the cause of their discomfort. It is as likely, or perhaps even more likely, that the symptoms are not related to the implants. However, I feel strongly that a woman who wants her implants removed – for whatever reason – deserves to be listened to carefully, treated with respect, and should be offered breast implant removal if that is how she wishes to proceed.
Dr. Alexandra Schmidt is a fellowship trained, board-certified plastic surgeon practicing in Raleigh, NC. Dr. Schmidt has been described as the Best Female Plastic Surgeon in Raleigh and all of North Carolina in many patient reviews. Dr. Schmidt performs aesthetic surgery of the face and body with a special emphasis on very natural looking results with a comfortable and rapid recovery. Patient safety and privacy are Dr. Schmidt’s highest priorities.
Text Blue Water Plastic Surgery Partners to schedule your Plastic Surgery consultation: 919-739-3110