Breast Implants

[Guest guest]

Dear Ms. McClain:

I am writing this letter to let you know of my saline breast implant nightmare. While I do not live in Nevada, I still feel it is imperative that you know the horror I went through while I had my implants.

I am a registered nurse who is very well educated. My background is critical care medicine, including trauma, ICU, and recovery room. In addition, I have extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of pain management, infectious disease, and legal nurse consulting, with an emphasis on faulty medical devices, medical malpractice, and forensic nursing. So, I not only speak to you from the heart about my experience, but also from a medical point of view.

I received my saline breast implants in 1996. I was never informed of the potential dangers associated with implants, and was reassured that saline implants were "perfectly safe." I had only heard of the controversy surrounding silicone implants, and knew that many women were exchanging their silicone implants for saline implants. I figured that they must be safe, and believed what the plastic surgeon told me when he said that if the implants were to rupture, the body would absorb the harmless saline. I had no reason to doubt him, and agreed to the procedure.

Four and one half years later, I am reminded daily of my decision to get implants. Why? Because I have suffered so many major health problems, that I cannot possibly go one day without being reminded of those "bags of poison." I had the implants removed in February, 2001, and apparently, just in time before key pieces would have separated, causing rapid deflation and a likely severe infective episode.

About 6-8 months after I got my implants, I started having neurological and cardiac problems. I was suddenly fatigued all the time, and had no energy.

Walking up one flight of stairs made me severely short of breath. In addition, I developed palpitations and chest pain with activity. I had been the picture of health before this. I was active, energetic, and led a healthy lifestyle. Suddenly, I was gaining weight, and could barely muster together the energy to do even a little bit of exercise.

Around the same time, I began to develop dizziness/vertigo, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, ataxia, migraines, weakness, numbness/tingling in my arms and legs, and I was constantly dropping things. I also noticed that I was having severe muscle and joint pain, as well as difficulty swallowing, and cold extremities. I saw several neurologists who worked me up for MS, but tests came back negative. Everyone was at a loss as to what was going on with me. In a period of 1 year, I saw approximately 9 doctors, and eventually I was told that "it was all in my head."

Being a RN, I knew that what I was experiencing was not in my head. I knew that something more serious was going on, and it was a matter of finding a doctor who was willing to "play detective." Finally, with the help and support of a savvy neurologist, I was told that I was beginning to show more evident signs/symptoms of lupus. I was referred to a rheumatologist, but before my appointment, this particular neurologist wanted me to get a FLAIR MRI, which I had not had done previously. What this MRI found forever changed my life.

It was discovered on the MRI that I had had a CVA (stroke) in my left cerebellum. This would explain some of my neurological problems, but not all of them. So the detective work continued. My rheumatologist was able to diagnose me with lupus, Sjogrens, and Raynauds based on history and lab results. But how I had this stroke became a big question. So I was referred for an echocardiogram of my heart, which showed an atrial septal defect (ASD). Generally, ASD's are congenital malformations which usually close on their own, and don't present problems. I was born with a heart condition, and medical records over the years show that the heart problem had resolved by the time I was 13 years old. It is almost unheard of for an ASD to recur, and yet here I was at 29 years old with a very large ASD. This would explain some of my other cardiac and neuro complaints, as well as explain how the stroke occurred. The physicians felt that I had thrown a clot through the ASD, which then went to my brain. The size of the ASD was large enough to warrant open heart surgery within 2 weeks of finding the ASD. What still confused the surgeons, however, was why did this ASD recur? No one had an answer. But I was told that by repairing the ASD, my cardiac and neurological problems would be resolved. Even though I was facing major surgery, I was happy to have an answer to all my previously unanswered questions. It was later determined that my body's desperate attempt to fight the implants caused a massive autoimmune response, which resulted in the reopening of the ASD.

I underwent open heart surgery in August, 1999. What happened afterward cannot accurately be put into words. I suffered severe infection, a reaction to suture material, poor/lack of healing, as well as the development of granulomas, and chronic inflammation. I had to have several debridements of the sternum done, and was left with open wounds on my chest so that the infectious material could drain. The healing process was extremely protracted, and it took 1 year for healing to be complete.

However, my health problems were not improving as everyone had initially thought--they were getting worse. I now was dealing with chronic pain, and was missing work on a consistent basis. At some point during my recovery from my heart surgery, I began to entertain the idea that my implants might be the root of all my health problems. I started doing research, and what I found scared me. There was mounting evidence that saline implants were being implicated in autoimmune diseases.

I first brought up this possibility with my cardiac surgeon. He agreed that something was causing my autoimmune problems and difficulty healing. He did some research and informed me that he had to agree that it was a good possibility that my implants were causing my problems. I quickly found a new rheumatologist who had a clientele which included women who were sick from implants. After seeing him, he strongly agreed that my implants were probably the cause of all my health problems. He explained that it is unusual for someone to just "develop" lupus without there being some family history, however remote. There is absolutely no family history of autoimmune/connective tissue diseases in my family. I had to continue to ask myself, "could my implants be causing everything?" So I forged on with my research. I vowed to become as knowledgeable as I could about implants and their effects on womens' health. When medication failed to make me feel better, my rheumatologist recommended that I have my implants removed, and referred me to a world renowned plastic surgeon.

In the meantime, I was now having chronic, severe neck pain. An MRI of my cervical spine showed severely herniated disks which were compressing the spinal cord. I had been having intermittent paralytic episodes of my legs for a few days. My neurosurgeon insisted that I have emergent surgery to fuse the disks and correct the problem. So, less than a year after my open heart surgery, I was back on the operating room table having major surgery.

Initially, my spinal fusion took. However, 4 months postop, xrays showed a potential non-union. Again, this was another example of my body not healing correctly. My surgeon chose to wait and see if the union would eventually form. But xrays a couple of months later showed a failure of the bones to fuse. There was a complete non-union. My surgeon recommended that I have the surgery redone using a different, more complex technique. At this same time, though, I was preparing to have my breast implants removed. I had gone through enough medical misery to know that I had to have the implants removed. I was not getting better, and my health was rapidly deteriorating.

I was only 31 years old. I couldn't help but think of all the surgeries I'd had prior to my implants and I never had any problem with healing. And all of the information I was finding on saline breast implants had convinced me that they were the root of all my health problems. And I had the support of all my physicians. Every single one of them agreed that I needed to have the implants removed if I was to ever be a healthy individual again.

When I saw the plastic surgeon about removal, she wholeheartedly agreed that they needed to come out. Ever since I had the implants, I had developed a rash on my chest, and my complexion went from clear to awful. She stated that she had seen women who were allergic to the implants (silicone) and had similar rashes as mine. She provided me with data showing that saline implants were more frequently being linked to autoimmune/connective tissue diseases. And she also pointed out what so many of us forget--all saline implants contain silicone. The implant is surrounded by a silicone capsule.

So even though the amount of silicone is not as high as the old silicone implants, women with saline implants are still exposed to the toxic properties of silicone, and therefore, the potential for silicone poisoning and disease.

I underwent explantation in February, 2001. It was a decision I will NEVER regret. Not only was one implant like cement and silicone had broken down in my breast tissue, but the other had a slow leak, and had already deflated quite a bit. In addition, scientific analysis showed that my implants were manufactured incorrectly and were defective. Scarier yet was the fact that both implants were found to be growing Staph epidermidis, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus bouffardi. The latter 2 are molds. Because I had a leak in one of the implants, theses molds and bacteria had entered my systemic system. No one knows the long term effects of what these organisms will do to my body. But it has been known and proven that saline has a shelf life of 18 months at a temperature of 77 degrees F. By placing saline into a body temp of approximately 97 degrees F or higher, you effectively decrease that shelf life by at least half, if not more. And you create a perfect environment for organisms to grow--warm and wet.

To date, my health has dramatically improved. My sternum has completely healed, my chronic pain and fatigue are gone, I have lost 17 pounds, my energy level returned almost immediately after removal of the implants, the rash on my chest resolved within 48 hours after the implants were removed, and my facial complexion cleared up significantly within a week. And most amazing is that my cervical spinal fusion is forming a union. My neurosurgeon is optimistic that I will not have to have another surgery. In addition, he and my other physicians are amazed at the improvements in my health since I had the implants removed. They have not seen anything as dramatic as my improvement in my health. I think that my results speak volumes about the effects saline implants can and do have on a woman's health.

It is imperative that more research be done on the deleterious effects of saline implants. I have spoken to and counseled several women who have been ill from their implants, yet when they are removed, these women become healthy, and the majority of women regain their health. I think that more studies need to be done involving women who have had their implants removed and are now healthy. Following women for a period of 5-8 years after explantation would be a sure way to prove how dangerous implants can be.

Following these women post explantation would effectively show whether their health improves or not, and if so, to what extent. If these women are ill while they have their implants, then have them removed and show an improvement in their health, how much more proof can anyone want that implants are dangerous?

For now, breast implant survivors must fight the battle on our own to prove that these devices are dangerous. My hope is that somewhere in the near future, we will not have to fight this battle because my hope and desire is to see all breast implants banned. My hope is that physicians, scientists, researchers, women, and anyone else who believes implants are safe will come to the realization that these devices are not safe, never have been safe, and never will be safe. Until this happens, society must listen, trust, and have faith in the testimony of women who have lived and experienced what is equal to hell on earth.

Sincerely,

e Lello, RN, BSN, LNC