saline implants

[Guest guest]

Hello,

My name is Jerilyn and I had a double mastectomy in 2003 and went through

reconstruction in 2004. I have saline implants in and only had problems when I

found out that Inamed the makers of the implants had placed the wrong size

implants in the marked box. Instead of getting a 300cc implants I received

500cc implant on my left size. Because of the wrong size implant my breast

started to wrinkle and cave in. I had another surgery in 2006 to repair my

implants and they replaced both of the implants because the right side also

looked disfigured because of the wrong sized implant on the left side. They

also used a different type implant, but still saline implants. I did not know

you could ask for your implants so I don’t know what they looked like. In

fact I have never ever seen the implants in person. I have been reading some of

your letters on the internet and it is very scary to think I can get sick from

these implants. I thought saline was

safe and there were no problem with this type of implant. My mother also had a

mastectomy but did not have an implant. She just uses a bra implant. I was 46

when I had my surgery and the doctors never discussed not having implants

because I was so young. My mother’s cancer was later on in her life at the

age of 60. My sister just went through a lumpectomy but did not have her breast

removed.

I am not sick and do not feel sick. My implants look good now from the outside.

My worry is maybe something could happen on the inside. How do you check to see

if your implants are ok? You cannot have mammograms now so what do you do?

Please let me know if anyone have experienced this and knows what to do.

[Guest guest]

Welcome Jerilyn,I'm afraid I'm really skeptical . . . Your original surgeon should have been aware the size was wrong! . . . We've heard of too many surgeons who decide a woman needs bigger implants than she asked for. . . makes me wonder?I'm glad to hear you're not having problems! . . . Personally, I wouldn't recommend anyone who isn't having problems, and who is happy with her implants, have them removed without being very sure that's what they want to do. As to symptoms, please educate yourself on the various ways they begin so, should you start having problems, you won't waste time running from doctor to doctor. Occasionally problems will show up immediately. However, the shell

starts deteriorating immediately. Problems often don't show up for 7-10 years . . . I'd recommend having them replaced at ten years even if you're not having problems. In the meantime, you're right, mammograms can rupture implants. The safest exam is a sonogram, followed by a MRI if there's any suspicion of a problem. Scar tissue left behind by previous surgery can be confused with cancer, so one must have a very good radiologist reviewing your films. I had breast cancer two years ago. .. fortunately it was caught early so I needed only a simple lumpectomy. After being involved in implant support for about 14 years, I probably feel different about reconstruction than many. We've found that, once a woman has been sick from her implants, the size, shape are no longer important. . . And that, the loved ones in our lives agree.Hugs and prayers,Rogene