Welcome to Healing Breast Implant Illness
This website is a live book about breast implant illness first published in February 2013 and is the culmination of breast implant illness medical information from over 200,000 women in our Facebook group Breast Implant Illness and Healing By Nicole. Our personal experience of breast implant illness is the foundation of our wisdom and may it be of benefit to you. If you have breast implants or are thinking of them, please read this website and then join our Facebook group for support and research.
After years of our activism on the internet and social media, on May 2, 2019, the FDA issued a statement acknowledging breast implant illness and the systemic symptoms caused by silicone including various cancers. For more information regarding recent FDA announcements, breast implant studies, medical case reports, silicone toxicity and silicone gel bleed please see Breast Implant Safety.
If you have breast implants now, stay calm and focus on identification of Breast Implant Illness Symptoms, when you recognize yourself in these symptoms, then move to Explant. Proper removal of your breast implants is the most important step to recovery from breast implant illness. Breast implants should ideally be removed En Bloc (in a manner that prevents contamination to you) if possible and always with a Total Capsulectomy (remove all surrounding capsule tissue). The body has an amazing healing and regenerative capacity. Trust in your body’s ability to heal. Choose a surgeon that is skilled and experienced at En Bloc Capsulectomy and Total Capsulectomy removal of breast implants and is dedicated to removing all capsule tissue. Here is an international list of Explant Surgeons recommended by the members of our Facebook group who used these surgeons.
Unfortunately, you will likely not get much help identifying breast implant illness from your doctor or plastic surgeon. There is no test for breast implant illness and it’s acknowledgement is being minimized by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and some plastic surgeons in order to continue to sell toxic breast implants. Many women suffering from breast implant illness are misdiagnosed and mistreated for diseases that have similar symptoms and have been repeatedly told their breast implants are not the problem when they are the problem. Don’t waste time on misdiagnoses and mistreatment. Time is of the essence to your health. Trust your inner wisdom. Saline and silicone breast implants made with toxic chemicals and heavy metals do not belong in our healthy bodies. Further, some plastic surgeons may attempt to talk you out of explant or tell you a Total Capsulectomy is not necessary. Do not believe this, in fact, we suggest not using a plastic surgeon for explant unless he/she readily acknowledges breast implant illness symptoms and insists on a En Bloc or Total Capsulectomy explant and is experienced at proper explant and can prove it to you with photos of En Bloc and Total Capsulectomy explants.
After your proper explant, detoxification and healing will unfold over a year or two and here are some Silicone Detox guidelines to help you support yourself during your detox. Step by step you can heal. Under our RESOURCES section, we have compiled other important information which will assist you through this process and contribute to your healing. Due to so many women being affected negatively by breast implants, litigation is picking up, please go here to Breast Implant Lawsuits to learn of trends in lawsuits being filed and also which attorneys are accepting cases.
Please enjoy the first ever documentary about breast implant illness by Leigh Wood of South Africa: Toxic Tits .
We welcome your comments and questions below or directly to our email at [email protected]. Recent comments, after approved, appear first. Most questions will receive a reply.
Best wishes in your recovery,
Nicole
Hi I’m in the UK awaiting implant removal after 34 years in my body The UK forum are very slow to let you join I await approval since Jan so I’m thinking join the US forum
Hi Kimberly!! I realize your post is a couple of years old now, but I was wondering if you ever found somewhere to donate funds to help women with explanting their implants? I’ve just recently (past 3 weeks or so) discovered that I probably have had BII for years, but my symptoms are getting progressively worse to the point where I’m bedridden most days. I can barely shower and fix something to eat. I only leave my house to go to doctor’s appts. Anyway, I’m desperate to get my implants out, but don’t have the money, so I was wondering if you ever found a place to donate to that might help women with the expense of explantation? From what info I’ve gathered so far, my insurance won’t cover it, though I’ll continue to look into it. I hate asking for help, so I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable setting up a GoFundMe or similar account. Please feel free to message me directly if you have any info for me. I pray this message finds you healthier and healed after your own explantation procedure. Have a blessed day!!!
Hi! I would love to hear if
you were able to get any help !? – not sure I will
see your reply… could you
email me? [email protected]
I am 81 years old and am in agonizing nerve pain. I had silicone implants almost 18 years. Removed, leaking and ruptured in 1992, I improved some until I got my second pacemaker. Surprise, it is silicone, covered as are its leads. Does anyone know where I can get help cleaning up the residual silicone left from the implant removal and possible shedding of particles left from the pacemaker? And replacing the pacemaker and lead? Try convincing a pacemaker dr silicone is not safe…
Where would I find more information on explant after bilateral mastectomy?
Hi Laurie, come to our facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Healingbreastimplantillness, we have many gals who explanted their reconstruction implants who can help you!
Did you ever figure it out?
Hello, I’m Carol, a breast implant survivalist. This is the short version to what happened to me.
I had been diagnosed with hyperplasia of Fibrocystic Desease at age 39. Mother of two daughters aged 13 and 15 at that time, which was 1987, I was told I should have Bilateral SubQs with implants. I’d never heard of such a thing!
I haven’t had a well day since. I knew in my gut after three months post opt, this was not right.
I called my gyn who took me that day. I didn’t have a primary Dr because I was full of energy, physically fit, & never ill. He checked my reflexes after hearing my symptoms and I had NONE. Ankles, knees, elbows, anywhere you can think to check. He put me on emergency thyroid pills,after drawing blood for labs. Then it was the beginning of the roller coaster ride from hell!
I went trough Dr after Dr for a few years then retained an Attorney. The implants were in me a total of 41/2 years. I couldn’t work 5 days a week anymore. My boss sympathized with me, and half the time told me to call my Dr knowing he’d give me a shot of Toradol, a strong muscle relaxent, and send me home. I’m not sure how she knew, because it’s not my nature to show when I’m not well or in pain. I worked there for 14 years and was very energetic.
Shortly after that i retained an attorney and was starting to talk about a lawsuit, however, it turned into a class action lawsuit. My attorney had to find me a Dr out of area to remove them because, of the five plastic surgeons in our town, at the time, none of the four other ones would see me. They told me I’d have to go to the one who put them in me.
It’s now 2024 and I finally have an NP for pcp, under her Dr’s name, whom I’ve never met, and this young lady is the first “Dr” who bends over backwards to meet my every need.
I’m still suffering from many problems, but due to the age factor, I just appear to be an aging woman who needs a cane or walker. I’ll be 76 years old October 29, 2024.
Where is the list of recommended surgeons? I’m close to Seattle WA.
Hi Carrie, the list of recommended explant surgeon for each state is here: https://www.healingbreastimplantillness.com/explant-surgeons/.