Robert Whitfield MD discusses his experience with over 1,500 explant cases. He reports that about 35% show biofilm, which he describes as infection, and that removing implants improves symptoms in those patients. He also suggests genetic predisposition plays a role, with affected patients typically having three to four dysfunctional pathways.
But let me ask you maybe a stupid question. Why do some people, in your opinion, get breast implant illness while others don't? Is it a genetic disposition? Is it the way the surgeon puts the implants in? Is it size? Is it like, why do some people feel the effects not? Or is it something where the implant just has to be in your system for X period of time, and then over time you're going to kind of fight these kind of things in the.
Simple way to think about it. In our experience, which you know, encompasses 1500 plus, now 35% have biofilm. So I'll just say for everybody in the audience, so biofilm to me is an infection. I will always just say in those, regardless of their genetics, you take it out, they get better, right? They were going to get symptomatic at some point. If you get them and take them out, they're better. But what you're asking is the more complicated question is who's actually predisposed to have a problem? And so from genetics, you have to be, in my opinion, after looking at several hundred genetic reports on people with breast implants, so I've explanted, you have to have three to four of those pathways I mentioned not working properly.
