Episode 38: Can Breast Implant Illness Be Cured Without Explant Surgery?

Foreign Dr. Rob Whitfield, the board certified plastic surgeon specializing in explant surgery Breast implant illness is a topic that is not often talked enough about, especially in medical community, but is something that affects many women. In this podcast I will be discussing the latest research, treatment options and personal stories of women who have undergone explant surgery in an effort to heal breast implant illness. In this podcast, we'll explore the symptoms of breast implant illness and delve into the latest surgical techniques for explantation and the recovery process. Whether you are currently experiencing breast implant illness or are considering explant surgery, this podcast is a valuable resource for anyone looking to take control of their health and wellness. So let's dive in. Before we get started today, I wanted to tell you about a way you can speed your healing and to begin reverse aging in your body. Reducing inflammation is especially important for women with breast implant illness. In fact, one of the most important pre explant surgery steps we take is to get rid of as much inflammation in the body as possible. So I've created a special inflammation support bundle to give you everything you need to reduce inflammation as quickly as possible. Don't let inflammation hold you back. Visit drrobsolutions.com now and grab the inflammation support bundle today. Again, you can get it@drrobsolutions.com can breast implant illness be cured without explant surgery? Well, the short answer answer is no if in fact the implant is a main driver of inflammation. I've talked about this on my show and other shows and if we look at breast implant illness as a continuum of chronic inflammation, then a foreign body doesn't matter if it's a hip, knee, breast, dental, cardiac, neurologic, doesn't matter what type of implants it is. If that's a source of stimulus to your immune system, then you can't completely resolve the symptoms of chronic inflammation without performing the explant surgery. And there's been a lot of discussion around should you perform a on block capsulectomy, partial capsule, total capsulectomy, an incidence of one in a thousand of a lymphoma associated with a breast implant in that instance, the natural thing that we do is we don't want to actually create a new problem for a patient by either opening a pocket where there is lymphoma or in fact do an incomplete excision in the setting of an infection or a cancer or anything of that nature. So we always carefully work around the capsule. Some capsules are thicker, some capsules are thinner. Sometimes the longevity of the device with the patient, the number of surgeries they may have had. Some people will scar, maybe a slightly significant amount more. And if it is, sometimes those are easier cases. Certainly above the muscle cases are easier than below the muscle cases. But I've done over 1600 explants at this point, so there's not a specific type of situation that bothers me both, you know, with my number of explants I've done and the number of oncologic procedures I've done over the course of my career in plastic surgery. Surgery. We'll get back to this show in a moment, but I wanted to share something that I think can really help you. You might not be aware, but part of my work as an innovator in the cosmetic surgery space is to create products that will give my patients the best possible outcomes and restore their health as quickly as possible. I can't tell you how critical it is for all of my patients to actively work to reduce inflammation in their bodies. We do this through diet and supplementation. In fact, I've created a special inflammation support bundle for my patients and now you can have access to it as well. One of the reasons this bundle is perfect for my patients is that so many of them have pill fatigue. It's just not going to work for them to have a handful of pills each day to reduce inflammation. So I made sure to include the liposomal version of many of the vitamins and minerals within the bundle. You'll still get the full absorption of these supplements in your mouth without having to go through your gut first in order to be absorbed. You can get the inflammation support bundle@drrobsolutions.com and begin to feel better when you make the supplements a part of your daily health routine. The website again is drrobsolutions.com I can't wait for you to get this help in your hands. The nature of these is just trying to get all the material out, make sure that there's not going to be something else left that would stimulate an immune response. In my series of, like you said, over 1600 explants and over 943 with quantitative PCR testing in our study that about 30% have a bacterial biofilm. The most common bacteria is cutie bacterium acnes and this is found on our face, neck, our chest, our shoulders. It's just a bacteria in the skin. I can't tell you exactly how each of these cases became tainted with this biofilm. So it's more being cognizant of. It's a foreign body and whether it's a hip, knee, breast, shoulder implant, cardiac implant, it doesn't really matter what type of implant is, they all can get a biofilm and become chronically inflamed. This is nothing new. This has happened in surgery since devices have been used. So the fact of the matter is chronic inflammation in this setting will not be completely resolved if in fact the device is the main driver, so that would require its removal. Thanks for joining me today. I hope you found the information and stories shared on this podcast helpful and informative. Remember, taking control of your health and wellness is key to recovery from breast implant illness. If you're looking for additional resources and support, be sure to visit our online store, Dr. Rob's Solutions at drrobsolutions.myshopify.com you'll find a wide range of wellness products and supplements to support your journey your recovery. From specially formulated detox supplements to personalized skincare products, we have everything you need to aid your recovery. Visit Dr. Rob's Solutions today at DrRobs Solutions.com thank you for listening and we'll be back with another episode soon. Remember, you're not alone in this journey and together we can overcome breast implant illness. Take care. Sam.