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One of the most common mammoplasty horror stories is the ubiquitous silicone disease myth.
Everyone sees in him something of his own: those who are just beginning their acquaintance with the topic of plastics believe that this is the name of an indestructible desire, having done the operation once, repeat it over and over again. Experienced patients and specialists understand by this term the now popular idea that any mammoplasty increases the risk of complications and various diseases – simply by the very fact of the existence of implants in the body.
We decided to understand this topic and asked our expert, Doctor of Medical Sciences and an experienced plastic surgeon with many years of experience, Georgy Eduardovich Karapetyan, to comment on both aspects of this problem.
Plastic: is it possible to stop in time?
One of the most widespread legends about plastic surgery says that having done plastic surgery once, women get a taste and begin to endlessly cut and reshape their bodies, striving for some kind of perfection – the image of ideal beauty and femininity. Of course, the desire to look good and young is a natural desire for a person. Especially if his work is connected with publicity or the need to speak in front of an audience.
However, it is important to understand that the job of a responsible plastic surgeon is also to be able to assess the true motivation of the patient in front of him and the real indications for a particular operation.
Remember! No doctor of a high professional level will go about the wishes of the patient, not supported by medical necessity or aesthetic indications.
My know that I am, in principle, against any surgical interventions, especially those with strained aesthetic indications. And when they ask me at a consultation: “Doctor, how many operations can you carry out?”
Every plastic surgeon should be, first of all, a psychologist, since a professional is obliged to realistically assess the psychological status of the patient, the need for the planned intervention and the real forecast of the compliance of the results of the operation with the patient’s expectations. The surgeon must reasonably refuse the patient if there are no real indications for intervention.
Breast Implant Disease: Who Faces It?
Specialists more often use the wording “silicone disease” in the context of patients’ belief that the presence of implants in the body is a multifaceted factor that can lead to various complications. In this regard, it is believed that breast implants increase the risk of immune diseases, cause hair loss, fungal organ damage, accelerate aging and many other fantasies. And of course, the topic of oncology is a red line through the topic of mammoplasty. This is 90% due to the fact that breast cancer is the most popular type of cancer in women in the world and occurs both in historical figures and famous people, as well as in relatives and friends. Of course, any interference with the vital activity of the glands (in the form of mammoplasty) almost instinctively causes the fear of an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Do specialists share these concerns? There is no definite answer here. The fact is that the silicone material from which breast implants are made is used in many other areas: traumatology, vascular surgery, cardiac surgery. Moreover, we daily “use” silicone molecules along with household chemicals, toothpaste, etc. It turns out that our immune system regularly encounters chemical elements that are theoretically capable of provoking many diseases or causing them. However, on a global scale, there is no direct link between the high incidence of fatal diseases, a sharp reduction in life expectancy and the use of implants in surgery, including mammoplasty!
As for other potential complications (encapsulation, calcification, rupture and other damage), it is important to understand that an implant is in any case a foreign body, which means that all these problems are possible if misused or injured. However, modern implants are made of high quality medical silicone and have a high degree of inertness, that is, minimal impact on the body.
Moreover, even with a rupture of the shell (which is really possible as a result of errors during the operation or in case of domestic and other injuries), a modern high-quality implant will not spread over the breast, as many forums and “expert” blogs scare women. As a rule, it will remain completely inside the shell – the gel is not flowable.
“Behind With more than 3 thousand patients, I have not encountered breast implant disease. After all, each operation performed for certain complications that have arisen must be analyzed: clinically and diagnostically. All tissues that have interacted with the implant are sent for microscopic examination. “
Typically, breast implant problems arise for three reasons:
1. Poor quality prostheses.
2. Errors in the technique of performing the operation, lack of experience, skills and knowledge of the surgeon.
3. The combination of these two factors, complicated by the individual physiological characteristics of the patient.
With the totality of all these observations, we can confidently state that there are no cases of “silicone disease”, that is, damage in the body caused by the very fact of the existence of implants in it, there are no (or they are little known).
Of course, even the choice of modern implants and careful personal care cannot guarantee life-long absence of problems or the need to make corrections. It is very important to regularly undergo ultrasound diagnostics and medical examination in order to timely identify possible problems and eliminate them. Of course, it’s better to choose right away , whose level of professionalism and expertise inspires confidence and calmness – both during the operation itself and after it. You can find out more information about this at .