Thursday, February 26, 2009 Debz asks

Q: Hi, Has anyone heard of having your body rejecting breast implants?

Could there be another reason for the implant to start to disintegrate inside the body?

I am a 9 year survivor of breast cancer, my right breast is an D and my left breast is an A. I have a severe indentation in the outer left breast. I have had radiation and chemo and tamox and ferera. I would like to look "normal" again, and had such a problem with the implants before, I wounder if it is just me? or is this something other women have had a problem with also?

My husband and I were talking about just removing the breast and starting over. We are wondering if it is possible to go and hae the breast removed to have reconstruction done now?

Thanks

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Answers (4)

PJ Hamel, Health Guide

2/26/09 8:35pm

Hi - I hope Angi answers you about the implants - she's our "implant expert" here. It's possible to have reconstruction years later, but depends on how much and where radiation was given. My advice? See a plastic surgeon, and lay out your whole situation. See if reconstruction is a possibility for you. No harm in investigating it, right? I think you'd certainly have a better result with body tissue reconstruction, at this point than you've had with your disintegrating implants. Good luck - PJH

Anne

2/27/09 12:00am

Your body would not likely reject the implant after such a long time. My thought is it is losing the saline, although that usually happens quickly--mine happened within a few minutes--pumped up one minute and flat the next. But, that is saline. Do you have saline or the other? Sorry, can't remember the other substance they put in those, but they can also leak on a slower time line. That is a definite trip to the doctor, but a leaking saline implant is also. Implants are not meant to last a lifetime (unfortunately), and may need to be replaced. Also, some can be faulty, but usually show up earlier--I had three deflate in a 3 1/2 year period. Either way, you need to see a doctor and be sure you are keeping up with your mamms. You have to stay on top of this thing to be a lifelong survivor.

Angi

2/28/09 1:54pm

ah, I just lost my whole entire post - a long one at that!

Deb I am sorry to hear that you've experience complications with your implant. It is totally possible for your body to reject it as it is a foriegn object. I personally have experienced two separate failing attempts of reconstruction - one on each breast. The first I had a large black bruise over my entire breast that turned out to be a hematoma and dying or dead skin tissue from lack of blood supply. My surgeon almost took me to the ER on the spot but instead scheduled a removal the following week. I had to wait more than a year before I was able to attempt reconstruction again - at which time I had decided to have my L breast removed and get immediate reconstruction, which later failed. I had developed a small black flaky area around the incision and had been given this nasty green ointment that literally ate away the dead tissue and left me with a quarter sized hole that my hubby had to clean and pack with gauze several times through out the day. It was incredibly nasty. One day while cleaning it my husband could see what ended up being my expander. The next day my surgeon took a needle, popped it and pulled it out right there int he office. I had that hole for 3 months while I had to wait for it to heal fromt he inside out. At that time I was beginning to think I would never have a successful attempt, but a few months later I was all set and ready to go. It came time to swap them out and then my surgeon found a recurrent tumor within my chest wall. I ended up doing radiation for 7 weeks and had to wait nearly a year before I was given the ok to proceed with the saline fills. Right now I am about 3 weeks out from getting my final implants - and yes I am nervous, but I would like to think that after 4 years of trying to complete reconstruction that my body has accepted the implants.

I'll tell you that if you are not happy with your current breast situation then by all means please see another surgeon and get a consultation. You are entitled to satisfaction through either federal or state laws, and even clauses within your benefits of your insurance company. Being disfigured (having one breast noticably larger than your other) is not something you should have to tolerate. And while implants do have a shelf life of only so long, I do know women who have had the same set of implants for 30 years with no problems - and even in the event that your implant had to be swapped out I am pretty certain it would be covered. I'm sure your insurance carrier can clarify. I'm sure that your breast situation can be fixed to your satisfaction!

Good luck to you!

Angi

lina

4/21/09 1:35am

if i were you i would have my implants taking out, i had implants and they can make you very sick.. read this link about other women who had implants too..this is a very good information on here, if you wan to talk to me some more you can email me at adelina30@aol.com

http://www.explantation.com/

Q: Hi, Has anyone heard of having your body rejecting breast implants?

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