Are breast implants safe? While research on the safety of these devices is ongoing, the FDA has issued updated warnings about the risks associated with them.
A number of conditions have led to poor results, including active infections, pre-cancer in the breast, lupus (an autoimmune disorder that affects blood clotting), and smokers. One-third of patients will experience breast pain, loss of sensitivity, or asymmetry after implant surgery.
Contents
Saline implants
Though saline breast implants are considered safe, some women may worry about leaking. Saline breast implants are not prefilled. During the surgery, the surgeon fills the implant with saline. This allows the surgeon to adjust the size of the implant if necessary.
Leaking saline implants do not cause any harm, but it can result in visible changes to the implant’s shape and size. These changes will disappear naturally when the patient’s body tries to absorb it.
The main difference between saline and silicone implants is their filling material. Silicone implants are made of a cohesive gel material, while saline implants are filled with sterile water. Different breast implant sizes require varying volumes of saline solution. However, saline implants are generally less expensive than silicone implants. This is because silicone breast implants are much more realistic-looking and feel more like natural breasts.
BIA-ALCL
The FDA issued a safety communication on BIA-ALCL breast implants on July 24, 2019. The agency warns patients that removing a BIA-ALCL implant is not routinely recommended unless you experience symptoms.
Read Also: Breast Lift Without Implants
Besides warning patients about the potential for BIA-ALCL, it also recommends that they read and understand the manufacturer’s patient labeling. In addition, they recommend discussing the benefits and risks of breast implants with their surgeons.
The FDA’s MedWatch program encourages health care professionals to report any adverse events that may occur with medical devices to the agency. Regardless of whether the adverse event is related to a breast implant, reporting any such occurrence can help the FDA better understand the risks associated with medical devices. In addition, the agency may contact the patient for additional information, but it will keep the patient’s identity confidential. The FDA will continue to report significant findings on BIA-ALCL implants.
Sjogren’s syndrome
The link between breast implants and Sjogren’s syndrome is complex. Although the condition can affect men and women of any age, women are more susceptible to this autoimmune disorder. It is possible to trace the cause of the disease by filing a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the implant you have. Legally Pink Law can help you do so. This nonprofit law firm works with women and their families to track the manufacturers of defective breast implants.
Researchers found a connection between silicone breast implants and connective tissue diseases, including Sjogren’s syndrome. The study analyzed the data of two manufacturers of silicone gel implants and found that women who had implants with silicone gel had an increased risk of developing Sjogren’s syndrome.
This condition affects the skin, arteries, lymph nodes, and visceral organs. It was found that women with silicone implants were twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and dermatomyositis than the general population.
Rheumatoid arthritis
A small number of studies have linked breast implants with an increased risk of SSc and RA. Insufficient evidence supports the existence of an association, but symptoms of these diseases have been reported more frequently in women with breast implants than in women without implants.
However, the risk of incident rheumatic disease remains unclear. In addition, no studies have examined the risk of acute/traumatic rupture of breast implants.
Some studies have even suggested that breast implants increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, scleroderma, and chronic fatigue syndrome. These symptoms have been seen twice as common in patients with breast implants as those without.
Researchers have not yet found a clear cause and effect, but they do know that silicone breast implants are auto-immune stimulants.
[…] Read Also: Are Breast Implants Safe? […]