silicone and health risks, anyone else scared?

hello,

im just under 2 weeks away from having my ba and am having a last minute panic about possible health risks. i know the official line is that whilst there are inherant risks with breast implant surgery there are no proven links with systemic illnesses such as connective tissue disorders but looking at some information online i am getting scared. there are so many stories of women claiming implants have damaged their health terribly. see this forum for example [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] i know the epidemiological studies have shown no increased risk but what is happening to these women? is it all in their heads? also some studies have shown an immune reaction to silicone. though nothing definitive has been proved. anybody researched this in depth.? another thing that worries me is at least one of the large epidemiological studies showing no increased risks for connective tissue disease was funded by dow corning ( one of early implant manufacturers). i'd be grateful for others opinions on this and hopefully some reassurance

Hi There,
I think the best person to ask may be your surgeon, or ask the surgeon on here. I had worries regarding my current implants after rupture and all future implants so looked into it a little online. As far as i can tell, tests were done in America with regard to silicone causing autoimmune disorders, nothing was found to be conclusive so silicone implants were brought back to the market over there. I dont think they would have been allowed back if there were serious questions of their safety. With the other things you mentioned i really dont know.
I would definately speak to your surgeon and see what he says. Good luck xx

thanks vix,
i did speak to my surgeon when i first saw him about risks and he just said no connection has been found between implants and auto immune disease so i wasnt too worried at 1st its only after looking at experiences of women on various websites that i started getting concerned. some have had terrible illnesses after implants and complete reversal of symptoms after removal. i know its better to rely on sound scientific research than anecdotal stories but it still worries me a bit. i have 2 kids dependant on me so the thought of getting ill and not being able to look after them frightens me and makes me wonder if im being selfish.

HI ya could you just exspain what the 'immune system reaction' to silacon is as i have bever heard about it before

thanks Hun x

I think you need to weigh up why you are having the implants against all your worries, everyone has resevations it's not a decision to be taken lightly, but we are all different and react in different ways. I have ruptured PIPs and there's a question over whats in them and the adverse affects this may cause, but for me I just can't imagine not having my boobs and going back to nothing, so for me it's worth the risk.

Jo x

I myself am not worried. Not because I have looked into it in great depth. The studies have shown that there is no greater risk with implants. It also comes as no shock to me that most reported incidents are in america but not so many in europe where we have the most silicone breast implants used and america use mostly saline.

Hey hun, yes i was very worried initially. The conclusion that i came to is that you can only go on what you are told by the experts and if they say that there is no connection, then I was ok to accept that to some degree. Weather i truly believe what is said is another matter as i am a sceptic of most things. It is all subjective really. You are right that there are lots of stories where women have had implants ex-planted due to health concerns, and the stories make a terrifying read! I think you have to look at it as a majority rule. There will always be a percentage who will in some way be effected, but for the vast majority a positive outcome outweighs the negative. It is a tough call, a hard decision to make. You have to make peace with the situation in your own mind. From my perspective and i know that i am only 3 months down the line, i am very happy, how i will be in 10 or 20 years, who knows?? I hope that you find peace of mind. I am very very happy that i chose to have an enlargement. Life is a risky business which ever way you slice it. xo

Crystal wrote:HI ya could you just exspain what the 'immune system reaction' to silacon is as i have bever heard about it before

thanks Hun x

Hi crystal,
There are reports of women developing mysterious symptoms which resemble arthritis, fibromyalgia, scleroderma, connective tissue disorders, and/or immune dysfunction and seem to be associated with their implants. there are no conclusive studies that prove a link but a few animal studies showed an immune response to silicone. It is claimed that silicone can act as an adjuvant which means it can cause your immune system to act in an abnormal way provoking these type of illnesses. if you do an internet search for silicone and immune response or adjuvant affect u will find more info. a lot of it is contradictory and confusing though

Hi there, you have obviously researched thoroughly into the pros and cons of having a BA. Only you can decide if the possible complications outweigh your desire to have bigger boobs. I personally went with an FDA approved implant. I did this to be sure I was having an implant that had been extensively tested and monitored and as the culture of today is where theres blame theres a claim especially in the US I felt confident in my implant (no offence meant to any American ladies) I figured if they were willing to have them I was too. I don't think anything can be guaranteed in this life. I'm not saying don't do your research everyone should know the pros and cons but if I looked at everything like that I would never eat due to things they put in food either. Hope you come to a decision you are happy with soon : )

lilredangel wrote:There are reports of women developing mysterious symptoms which resemble arthritis, fibromyalgia, scleroderma, connective tissue disorders, and/or immune dysfunction and seem to be associated with their implants. there are no conclusive studies that prove a link

And that was the conclusion to my research also and thr reason I was happy to press on with my augmentation 'twice'!

I have suffered an autoimmune disorder for over 20 years, 4 years ago I had silicone implants (Allergan CUIs) Last year my left implant spontaneously ruptured, infact my surgeon told me it had completely torn.. the silicone had leaked to my lymph nodes but my auto immune disorder did not worsen, nor do I have any other auto-immune disorders... IMO I figure, given the health problems I have, I'd be a prime candidate for the body to attack itself should the silicone be capable of this happening.

its not something ive really considered. I feel confident that the implants ive got are safe

Hi hun,

There are always risks with surgery whether it is elective or to save your life, whether an implant is used or not, we all put ourselves at risk to a certain extent when choosing to have surgery.

The internet is a wonderful thing- you go out there looking for something you will find it. My point is if you go and google "health risks from eating pasta" you will find studies here and studies there and throw in a few media scare monger stories for good measure.

My point is, there could be health risks but there could be health riskd with many many things we do - drinking alcohol for example - there is solid evidence that this can affect our health but it all depends what is most important to you. To me, I wanted boobies to improve my confidence and self esteem, I looked into the risks and decided yes it was worth it for me. It is a personal decision hun, ruptures can and do happen and yes some people apparently become unwell if their implants rupture but it is very rare.

It all depends if you feel those risks are worth what you will gain from having a BA. Don't do anything until you are 100% sure it is the right thing for you hun.

Good luck xx