This YouTube interview (hosted by Robert Whitfield MD, with Tim) discusses potential links between breast implants, chronic inflammation, and impaired fertility. Dr. Whitfield emphasizes that implants can affect hormones and make IVF or fertility efforts more difficult, advises listeners to educate themselves, points to longer-form resources (podcast/YouTube channel) for deeper information, and urges patients to seek providers who understand implant-related inflammation (recommending leaving plastic surgeons who dismiss concerns).
I think fertility is an underappreciated issue as it relates to implants and chronic inflammation. I feel like everybody listening should understand that it affects your hormones. Anything that affects your hormones, no matter how many hormones the IVF doctor is giving you, it's going to be an uphill battle for you and your system, your body, to cope with that.
So if someone has breast implants, listening to this right now, or their partner, and they're thinking, okay, this sounds a lot to take in right now, but they feel that it's something that they should may explore. What does the timeline look like, for instance, you know, to a patient coming to you or to one of your colleagues or whatnot, saying, okay, let's start exploring this. What's the timeline look like?
Right, so this is a primer for you. You're listening to this and now you're like, is this really a problem for me or a loved one? What do I do next? So we created long form content in terms of podcasting and our YouTube channel to help you digest more of this information. Basically, what Tim and I have been discussing is just scratching the surface of what I've done over the past eight years. So you have to educate yourself. Whether or not you come to me is not important. You need to know what questions to ask and how to express yourself to the providers so you can communicate what's going on with your body so they can understand it. Now, if you go into a plastic surgeon and they don't understand this, you need to leave. Don't waste your time.
