Use of the internet or email is for your convenience only, and by using them, you assume the risk of unauthorized use. 4. However, my Morher has Hashimoto as well so I’m definitely prone. Link. We report a case of Aspergillus flavus growth within and around a saline-filled breast implant that was inserted 18 months previously. The issue of valve competence is another major problem, in particular for more recent versions of these devices. Visual Contrast Sensitivity (VCS) Test – free online (vcstest.com). It tested positive on high concentration of Aspergillus and Stachybotrys chartarum. I know people will say I did this to myself but no medical prof ever said this list could be a possible side effect- I was told they “recommend you replace implants every 15 years but there are many women who never replace them” Explant scheduled for 5/30 (super excited and scared)- I would love to know if there is a lawsuit for the McGhan Textured Saline and is it done by the state you currently live in or where you had the surgery?. I was unable to function. After about the fifth year of having the implants, i began having symptoms of back pain, fatigue, and a burning sensation in my chest wall. I lost the ability to digest meat properly, and had to eat mostly fruits, veggies and beans. Respiratory problems, along with brain fog and inflammation are widespread among women with breast implants and are common symptoms of mould illness. During that time i was diagnosed with ibs syndrome. I’ve been sick since. Link. This has been the most compelling group of stories I have read. I need help and recommendations to have my implants removed. In 2004, i received a breast augmentation procedure. I feel and look like a freak, i am ugly. Take Our Quiz. The report states candida albicans in both breasts between the implants and capsules. In 2004 i had mentor breast implants. Barely able to walk, sore joints muscles fatigue, but worst is not being able to breathe well. It was not until i did some research in (b)(6) 2015 that i realized it may be leaking implants. My health never got better, but i continued with other issues. Dr. Urzola does an en bloc saline implant removal and provides an illustration of why saline implants should not be deflated. The customer requested that no further contact be initiated by mentor for more information. Patient outcome has since improved, with lingering food allergies, gut issues and mold/chemical sensitivity. This test can show changes in the brain caused by toxins or PTSD and is excellent for showing inflammation in the brain from mold. Note: Parentheses represent redacted information to protect privacy. The patient reports that her health is slowly improving but the nipple pain resolved immediately after explantation. I was disabled for many years. Back in 2001, there was a cluster of fungal infections of saline-filled breast implants. Lymphoma was ruled out fortunately, ps discussed recent findings of this type of implant and stated that he did not use them. Long story short, I now am being treated for pneumonia and it has affected my boyfriend and our furbabies. I clearly lost a decade of my life to mold poisoning and although I cannot get it back I do feel that I am owed a hefty compensation. Mould has been found in the explanted tissue samples and capsules, taken from thousands of women during their breast explant surgery. At this point i could barely function. No one was able to diagnose the cause of my problems, until (b)(6) 2011, when i was told i had biotoxicity illness from my breast implants. The medicines used to treat and alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms brought about side effects that were less than desirable medicines as they did not help me whatsoever and only worsened my well being. Mentor Saline Implants. 2. Capsules were thick, yellowish and my chest full of yellow murk liquid. Smooth round moderate profile. When shells eventually perforate, systemic symptoms generally develop. Skin rash is listed by the FDA as a potential adverse reaction from implants. My augmentation with mentor saline smooth round we’re done in December of 2004. All rights reserved. I have seen many doctors with the conclusion being they don’t know what is causing me to be ill. On (b)(6) i traveled out of state to have my implants removed by a surgeon highly qualified to do the proper en bloc/capsules removed procedure. “is the product compounded: yes; did the problem stop after the person reduced the dose or stopped taking or using the product: yes. The more common method of filling a breast implants is a closed filling system where the saline goes directly from a closed IV bottle into the implant through connected tubing. I had so much tissue and muscle wasting and weight loss. Link. My surgeon who performed the removal, also explained that the mycoplasma pneumonia was residing within any and all regions of by body including major internal organs. Not being able to let go of the pressing thought that my breast implants just might be the root to all of my suffering, i began putting all of my expendable energy into rigorous research regarding breast implant illnesses. Silicone and Saline Breast Implants Toxicity Sickness, Healing testimonials. Infection. In response, the breast implant manufacturers produced the tubing necessary to allow a closed system of filling the implants. The patient underwent explantation with replacement on (b)(6) 2016 when the surgeon noticed mold in the valve area of both implants :it was described as dark green, brown and black and it was reported that some particles were also in the patient. On (b)(6) 2002, pt stated she was implanted with mentor smooth saline breast implants during reconstructive surgery at the age of (b)(6). ” my mammo is monday the 30th and all the crazy symptoms come back with a vengeance, lethargic, strangulation feeling times 10, can’t speak and when i do it is super painful with a strange froggy toad sound, the thought of speech puts me in excruciating pain, the strain my body feels, makes a permanent crease in the brow furrow, fingers/toes split open and bleed, the sore on my foot comes back and breaks open, i bruise easily, i look swollen, the lesions on my face return, i am so depressed at how i look and feel, yet i am a positive outgoing person so i put make-up on and pretend i am happy but i feel like dying. Link.. I would like to be added to a list with the fda in the event they are ever recalled. So frustrating. The following is an excerpt from page 269 of the book Breast Implants and the Document Investigation and Review Team Committee: “…an implant put into a patient by Dr. Jenny was removed by a surgeon in Augusta, Florida. I remember explaining that I felt like I was 90 years old- my mind knew what I could do but my body was too weak to follow through.Throughout the 17 years I’ve had the implants, I’ve had debilitating brain fog (that contributed to loss of at least one job), memory loss (that people comment on a lot), depression that is almost constant, anxiety, pain in my back and neck, weakness in my hands, cramps in my feet, joint pain, itching, rashes (one under my left breast has been there for 2 years), migraines that last days, dry skin, hair loss, bad breath, body odor, I was always cold (especially hands and feet) but now I have these moments of fever (it’s not hot flashes), inflamation, weight gain, IBS/Constopation severe hardening of breasts (capsular const), sharp pains in breasts, cold breasts, inability to breathe deeply, so tired and weak that I couldn’t get out of bed (for months) and more that I can’t remember BUT what made me certain there was really something wrong was when I sprained my ankle (not a big deal- everyone does it eventually) happened in 11/2018 and it’s now 5/2019 and it’s still not healed- still inflamed, I still limp. If this is the case, the risk of a fungal infection approaches zero. High tin moves zinc out of the body without allowing it to be absorbed, zinc is an antagonist to copper and is needed to keep copper levels low. Candida albicans are very antibiotic resistant and the proper diagnosis by cultures of the blood and antibiotic therapy has to be done the proper way. This is Texas Drs will not ever admit that there is any link. 11. Another theory is that silicone is estrogenic in nature and can cause copper toxicity because there is a link between high copper and high estrogen, therefore copper is related to implants due to estrogen dominance. I have had implants for 18 years and was diagnosed with Hashimoto a year ago. Since having them removed, my symptoms immediately improved. I am doing 95% better and don’t have any signs of 4 out of 5 autoimmune issues. 19. Six months after receiving the implants, the patient underwent a full hysterectomy, as the physicians thought that perhaps her issues were hormonal in nature. Link. No further information was obtained. Please any referrals or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I have McGhan textured saline implants (2002). I read about women everyday that are sick from their implants and no one will help them. The symptoms of Hashimoto and Saline toxicity are very similar. The mammos speak for themselves, but the photographs of my surgery and explanted implants speak even louder. 22. To preface this pat about my findings and what followed, i’ll briefly explain how this came about. I was diagnosed last year at 10 year mark with Rheumatoid Arthritis which I believe was caused by my implants. This comment was posted on the lawsuits page by a lady and is being reposted here for relevance: I got saline implants in 2002 which were manufactured by McGhan (formerly Inamed, now Allergan). I’ve suffered so much and lost so much of my life to feeling this way and feeling like I had to hide it because the Drs had to be right. No extended hospitalization was required. The implants were intact upon explantation. The implants were removed surgically on (b)(6) 2015 and found to have defective valves, internal debris and determined to have been leaking. It costs about $180 per implant and results generally take 3-4 weeks. 3. how can I immediately tell if saline implants start molding what are the symptoms, do they start molding within 2 years post op? But she believes for safety, women need to get their implants replaced every eight to fifteen years. Therefore, explanted in (b)(6) 2018. My symptoms were not making sense and i was getting worse again even though my blood said the thyroid should be ok; thank goodness doctor (b)(6) goes off how the pt feels and not the blood. Amanda Gilcrease is a patient who had her implants removed. Product defect (leaking valves – mentor saline high profile). They found that there was water damage to the ceiling of a storage area adjacent to the operating room where these cases occurred. Don’t get them. These are some of the ways the implants can then cause a cascade of other health issues to develop, as pathogens (bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitical) proliferate and cause many symptoms, while also inflammation increases and detoxification decreases. I had so much pain that it hurt just to be alive. 2. Dr (b)(6) explains false diagnosis due to the biotoxin disease from the mold. Link. how often should I replace them? From (b)(6) 2008 until (b)(6) 2011, i seen around 10 or more doctors with many expensive test done. Hi Sabrina. Old open bowl technique vs. current closed fill technique. Mold from faulty valves has been recorded to be found in saline breast implants since as early as 1978. We suggest that it is the selectively permeable nature of the silicone envelope of saline-filled breast implants that is responsible for facilitation of. It was reported that a female patient received bilateral augmentation mammoplasty in 1998. I am getting a little better but i want some compensation for all the missed years of life due to faulty implants. Fungi In and Around Implants After Augmentation Mammaplasty (1980). I am diagnosed with biotoxin illness, silicone sensitivity from the silicone shell of the saline implant, the leakage of mold coming from the implant, fibromyalgia, mastodynia in addition to the hashimoto’s thyroiditis and raynaud’s. She was diagnosed as biotoxin illness, silicone sensitivity from the silicon shell of the saline implant, mold coming from the implant. One of those cases, a woman named Amanda Gilcrease, experienced similar symptoms to Anne's when her four-year-old saline implants began growing mold. All breast implants – whether filled with silicone or saline – leak and/or break down eventually. I called seven and they all refused to take insurance or it would cost me more to go through the insurance. Although breast implants don’t actually expire, they aren’t guaranteed to last a lifetime. I have pages of dr appointments that had doctors misdiagnosed me and caused body parts to be removed and killed all in the past two and a half (2. Link. Sterile saline, sterile tubing, sterile implant — Do you see where I’m going with this? Symptoms of illness from breast implants vary widely but often include fatigue, muscle and joint pain, brain fog, memory loss, depression, hair loss, and symptoms associated with specific autoimmune diseases. I spoke to my doctor he said that my impant may have nothing to do with me being sick. Systemic Symptoms [Breast Implant Illness (BII)] Symptoms such as fatigue, memory loss, rash, "brain fog," and joint pain may be associated with breast implants. I was having breast pain in my right breast, i was fatigued. Aspergillus flavus cultured from a saline-filled implant (1997). He has put me on diflucan for 5 weeks and requested my rheumatologist refer me to an infectious disease doctor. This would be done multiple times until the implant was filled to the appropriate volume; then, the tube would be removed. Additionally, due to the immune deficits implants cause, there is an increased susceptibility to developing fungi (mold, yeast, etc) inside the body from contact with mold in the environment. The semi-permeability of silicone: a saline-filled breast implant with intraluminal and pericapsular Aspergillus flavus (2006). I am outraged that these companies that make breast implants are allowed to keep doing this to women. She said that a simple test could have warned her of how her individual immune system would react to the silicone, thus saving her from the toll it took on her immune system, brain, and heart. I quickly learned about a doctor out of (b)(6) who specializes and advocates in breast implant diseases and breast implant removals. Link. 9. Breast implant illness symptoms include fatigue, cognitive dysfunction (brain fog, memory loss), joint and muscle pain, hair loss, insomnia, and more. Link. I then started a regular correspondence with this doctor and set an appointment to have my implants removed. 109 South Northshore Drive #101 I had implants put in 10 years ago. Explant (b)(6) 2016. I found out after surgery that i had a (b)(6) infection in my right breast. In midsummer 2013, the pain in my right breast was flaring up again as my left breast grew along with the strange rashes and ill feelings again. This had contributed to a lot of my pain and sickness. Starting with page 13, general problems with saline implants are discussed including how microbiological growth can occur and problems with leaky valves. “don’t fix what ain’t broke” and an “elephant could sit on you and they will not leak or burst”. 4. Users of saline-filled implants are particularly subject to such problems. 16. I had my implants removed (b)(6) 2013 and they were found to have defective valves with mold growing on them. I had mentor smooth saline filled under the muscle breast implants. Also, the valves in the implants were faulty and had mold in them when they were removed in (b)(6) 2016. …Pathologic effects from bacterial, viral or fungal colonization of the capsule space leading to low grade chronic infections and toxic phenomena from microbiological metabolites. Very nervous about some capsule being left and still having BII. This report describes a case of gross contamination with the filamentous fungus P. variotii cultured from an intraluminal saline breast implant removed from a patient 14 months after implantation because of severe capsular contracture. This has been going on for approx 4-5 years as documented on my mammo reports. See an in-depth analysis report Dr. Blais did on explanted saline implants. fatigue, hair loss, joint pain, ibs, anxiety, depression, vision issues, dry mouth, early onset menopause, several miscarriages, vertigo, dehydration, abnormal body odor, chronic faigue syndrome, fibroidmalayga, i just want them out. Both consist of a silicone outer shell; the difference is what's inside the implants. Bacterial growth in saline implants: In vitro and in vivo studies (1996), Link. Link. She also reports headaches, brain fog, joint pain, body aches, chronic fatigue, dry eyes, weight loss, digestive system issues, sore feet, and increased recovery period from any surgery. About 25 years ago, a new method of filling the saline implants was adopted. For excellence in plastic surgery, please consider the office of renowned Knoxville plastic surgeon David B. Reath, MD. . Before this surgery, i suffered from insomnia, fatigue, joint pain, back pain, brain fog, hair loss, dry skin, acne, difficulty breathing and others. Worth every penny! 23. My medicare/ medicade won’t pay to have the implants removed, saying it’s cosmetic and an elective procedure. 2. Link. Let’s go back to the surgery center where these cases were found. All along these many years of dealing with symptoms unk as to why they were occurring, then being thought to have fibromyalgia, divine intervention led me to dig deeper into my existing condition, as i could not and would not accept this health deterioration as what i will face for the rest of my life. It turns out that for years, my body was fighting a silent battle that eventually began showing its face with the onset of my initial symptoms years earlier. To get the significance of this, you need to understand something about saline breast implants. My eyes and mouth became very dry. …Contamination and colonization of the saline compartment takes place comparatively rapidly and depend on implantation techniques, valves design and position of the device with reference to the valve mechanism. My brain fog is nearly gone now, and i no longer need daily naps. It was reported that a female patient underwent bilateral explantation of mentor smooth round high profile saline breast implants. They should be remove from all surgeries. Link. Something as simple as hugging someone can cause the deadly concoction to leave the implant and enter the body causing you to get very sick. Finally after being told several times that “it’s not my implants and just have Fibromyalgia” I listened to my body and decided to have them removed on 12/22/17. breathing problems. Visual contrast sensitivity and human beta growth factor tests were administered. In october, 1999, i had my plastic surgeon put in mentor saline implants, smooth over the muscle. There was a significant concern about what was causing these infections, so a thorough investigation was conducted. If you do test positive for mold, find a naturopathic doctor or functional medicine doctor that specializes in the mold/Dr. Bless all of you that are suffering. Mold chest wall infection. But, if you are considering saline implants, be sure to ask your surgeon whether he or she uses a closed technique to fill the implants. Interestingly, I was asked to review the index case for this, so I have seen the original documents and can comment intelligently. I document my low body temp even though i am sweating as if i have a fever. He is one of the best Augmentation docs in FL and his before and after pics are the best I’ve seen. Lab Work: Alpha MSH, C4a, VEGF, ADH/Osmolality, TGF Beta-1, MMP-9, ACTH/Cortisol, Leptin, VIP, and optionally you can test for specific HLA Drs to check for genetic susceptibility to mold sensitivity. Overall, immune and endocrine deficits are common problems associated with breast implants. Resources for recovery from mold: survivingmold.com, survivingtoxicmold.com, Dr. Shoemaker 11 Step Treatment Protocol. MTHFR is very common and causes impaired abilities to detox. Detoxification can be increasingly impaired as the liver, kidneys, and other excretory organs struggle to remove toxins and having MTHFR adds another layer of difficulty to detox. Solution for Injection) to fill the saline implants, recommend storage at 25°C (77°F) and include a discard date of about 18 months (sources: Mentor SSED see pg.15 and here). Has anyone been diagnosed with lung cancer after having saline augmentation, failure, leakage etc.? I have ask insurance they said no. I spent months going to different doctors trying to find out why i felt so bad. I had saline breast implants put in my body almost 11 years ago. For almost everyone, the answer is a resounding, “No!” However, if you asked whether this has ever happened, the answer is “yes.” To understand how this happened and the chances of it happening in the future requires a knowledge of how exactly saline implants are filled. Dr. Izabella says. This alarmed me as i learned the nature of this harmful microorganism that invaded by body as a result of tainted implants and a suppressed immunity. Did you ever find out if your breast implants had mold? I was aware of infection and surgical disruption but not that they would leak and cause harm. The patient reported that they felt sick for months, and underwent removal due to bilateral mold and valve leaks. Samples of the writings are below: “[N]early all saline inflatable devices examined to date show significant deficiencies with respect to the integrity of the shell, its ability to contain solutes and micro-organisms. …Leaky valves allow inoculae from the interior to leak into the intracapsular space causing low grade infections. For more information on these tests, see here and here. My life isn’t what is was and it is I believe BII. She stated that her immune system was getting worse since implantation as she experienced autoimmune symptoms. I wanted to know how many women had been diagnosed with lymphoma. If you want your implants back after the testing you have to specify it with them beforehand. Dr. Straka demonstrates en bloc removal of breast implants and one comes out with mold. I had several contractors of the capsule. She was also diagnosed with severe pulmonary hypertension. Furthermore, many surgeons habitually incorporated pharmaceuticals such as anti-inflammatories and antibiotics with the aqueous solutions of such implants. Redness was noted on the left breast, and bilateral pain/burning was experienced approximately 5 years post-procedure. I was put on a detox program, to get the fungus and mold out of my body and then on (b)(6) 2011, i had the implants removed. I have had a peculiar odor I have noticed. But she believes for safety, women need to get their implants replaced every eight to fifteen years. My insurance will cover removal, but I can not find a plastic surgeon that will take insurance. In the past year, i have been mostly bed ridden and chronically ill, not able to have a normal functioning life, and dealing with the above stated symptoms that have worsened. Phone: (865) 450-9253 ” breast augmentation. She also reported mold, fungus and bio-toxins were leaking into her body. This fact should be recorded in the surgeon’s operative report. There is an interesting association of saline-filled breast implants with fungal infection in the literature, suggesting that there may be some inherent characteristic of saline-filled implants that is conducive to fungal growth. The surgeon irrigated the cavity and washed it out before inserting new implants. Textured saline implants carry the same risk of cancer as textured silicone implants. Before 2001 there had been very few isolated cases of the same fungal contamination of the saline. I had to have plugs put into my tear ducts. 3. Copyright © 2016-2021 BreastImplantIllness.com. 4. Whether silicone or saline, breast implants always come with risks. Link. 2. 12. I’m scheduled for surgery April 1 the doctor said they will not take picture and it’s impossible to remove the capsule if it is attached to the rib or thin.