Growing number of patients want to remove silicone implants

Patients want to remove silicone implants

One surgery that has been gaining prominence in plastic surgeons' offices is explant surgery, a procedure that removes silicone prostheses. It can be performed for aesthetic reasons or complications, which have been more commonly reported by patients seeking explant surgery.

Silicone illness and ASIA syndrome are increasingly gaining prominence. It is true that plastic surgery brings many benefits, including improved self-esteem, but the risks involved should not be overshadowed.

Silicone illness is a generic term that can encompass complications related to the implant. However, many associate it only with the toxicity of silicone that leaks from the implant even without it being ruptured. This situation is called bleeding.

It is important to remember that it is common for a capsule to form around any implanted material. In the case of breast implants, this capsule can become hardened, with visible deformity, and even cause pain. Although rare, there is a lymphoma related to breast implants, and in this case, surgery to remove the implant is indicated. The prosthesis must be removed en bloc; that is, the intact implant within its capsule.

Ruptured implants can have silicone migrated to the axillary lymph nodes, causing pain, discomfort, and even hindering lymphatic drainage of the breast and arms.

In the case of ASIA syndrome, the silicone implant acts as a trigger for developing symptoms similar to rheumatological diseases such as joint pain throughout the body, fatigue, sleep disturbances, hair loss, and dry eyes and mouth.

To place a breast implant, the surgeon must be honest with the patient, explaining all these risks, and the patient needs to be mature enough to consider both the benefits and existing risks in this choice. Therefore, before surgery, it is important to discuss all doubts with the doctor. Trust between doctor and patient is fundamental in this decision.

Augmentation Mammoplasty - Besides the importance of breastfeeding, breasts are a symbol of female sensuality and, therefore, play an important role in body aesthetics, quality of life, and women's self-esteem.

Augmentation mammoplasty with silicone implants is one of the most performed plastic surgeries in the world, and generally, younger women seek the procedure.

Among the main doubts that the patient should clarify during the pre-surgery consultation is the size of the prosthesis. The choice of volume should not be trivialized and many factors should be taken into account, such as chest diameter, breast shape, skin elasticity, and the patient's wishes.

Exaggerated volumes, according to the specialist, increase the risks of surgical complications and dissatisfaction, which range from skin changes with stretch marks, problems with implant positioning, difficulty in healing, and implant exposure.

 

*Dr. Fernando Amato is a plastic surgeon, a full member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery (SBCP), a member of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

 

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Playlist

8 Videos

Breast Explantation and Reconstruction

3:09

Breast explantation

2:57

Lipolaser and fat grafting

2:58

Have you heard of ASIA Syndrome?

4:38

What is Silicone Illness?

5:03

Breast Reconstruction: plastic surgery

2:59

Breast Implant: when to replace?

2:05

Questions about Breast Surgery?

5:30