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SAN DIEGO — Breast cancer awareness month in October is well-known, but March is the start of a relatively new campaign for women’s health: National Breast Implant Awareness Month.
And it’s getting a lot more attention these days because more and more women are getting their breast implants removed.
National Breast Implant Awareness Month, which began in 2018, is not well known, and so are the potential health risks. breast implants for many women, something she aims to change.
“At the time I got my breast implants, there wasn’t a lot of information out there,” said implant surgery patient Courtney Sladky.
Sladky is part of a growing number of women who have chosen to have their breast implants permanently removed. A trend that can be seen from the runway to the red carpet. Celebrities such as Jane Fonda, Pamela Anderson, model Chrissy Teigan and racing driver Danica Patrick have spoken out about their decision to go natural.
Certified plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Chaffoo of La Jolla confirmed that implant surgery is on the rise, performing one right before an interview with FOX 5.
His patient’s implant surgery was for the most common reason: one of the implants hardened. But women get them removed for a variety of reasons, from cosmetic to unexplained health issues, as Sladky found.
“I had chronic pain, seeing the chiropractor once a week for the past six years. I had weight gain that I couldn’t get rid of no matter what, my body was always swollen,” Sladky said.
Dr. Chafoo has seen patients with similar complaints.
“Patients can have joint pain, joint stiffness, muscle aches, fatigue, headaches, depression, sometimes rashes,” Dr. Chafoo said.
Breast implant disease or BII as it is called is a gray area for many plastic surgeons. The main problem is that there is no diagnostic test for it, but a new study found that 94% of women who had their implants removed felt better. Sladky says she did right away.
“I didn’t realize how sick I was until I took them out,” she said.
Both Sladky and Dr. Chafoo agree that there is not enough data on BII and there is certainly no consensus among the medical community.
“They can’t get a firm diagnosis because it masquerades as so many things, it’s so misunderstood,” Sladky said.
While the science remains unclear, the definition of beauty is also changing, and the trend could also be a cultural shift.
“I also see the younger generation choosing not to have breast implants, there are a lot of younger women I’ve seen, even celebrities, who don’t have breast implants. Like I said, I think it’s fantastic to have in our physical body and be okay with it,” Sladky said.
Dr. Chaffoo advises making sure your implants are made in the USA and see a real plastic surgeon.
She adds that breast implant surgery is still far beyond breast implant surgery.
