Breast Implants, Explant Surgery, and Breast Implant Illness with Robert Whitfield MD - Episodes Tagged with “Implant Removal”

Episode 74: ENCORE: How Long Does Breast Explant Surgery and Recovery Take?

Robert Whitfield MD — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0400

There are many reasons why women undergo breast explant surgery. Although some women do breast explant because they don’t want them anymore, some opt for breast explant surgery due to health issues or complications such as capsular contracture (scar tissue tightening around the implant), rupture, infection, or chronic pain.

Knowing the expected recovery time gives people reasonable expectations regarding their healing process. It prepares them for the temporary limits and pain they may encounter during this period, which can help lessen worries. In today’s episode, we’ll be talking about how long breast explant surgery and recovery take.

Optimizing your immune system

When you undergo an operation, whether breast explant surgery, breast implant, breast reconstruction, or others, you have to ensure that your immune system is in its optimum state.

To optimize your immune pathways, we do genetic testing and saliva tests which normally take a couple of months to get the results. We also conduct urine tests to identify toxicities and inflammation.

Another thing that should be taken into consideration is the environment, as it also affects one’s immune system and recovery after a breast explant surgery. If you’re in an environment with molds, you have to be careful as these affect the air quality, which can also negatively impact your health.

Optimizing your diet and taking supplements

Having a healthy lifestyle boosts the immune system. Diet obviously plays a key role in all of these because if you can't eat and absorb nutrients, you can't recover easily.

You have to stay on track with your diet as it limits fluid accumulation by changing your oncotic pressure, which is the protein content in your blood so that you go from a leaky phase or catabolic phase after surgery to an anabolic phase or a non-leaky phase. This helps your swelling to lessen quicker.

Optimizing your diet includes an examination of food sensitivities and assessing your body’s food and nutrient absorption. We also have to check if you have bacterial, fungal, or parasitic overgrowth or leaky gut. It’s also important to ensure proper blood work and hormone balance for recovery since women have high levels of cortisol and sometimes estrogen as well, which can prolong recovery.
We carefully look into all of these factors, particularly the levels of estrogen, progesterone, and even testosterone, and optimize them through our supplements to shorten the patient’s recovery time. We also use red light therapy and lymphatic massage. Many of my clients also like to use hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Generally, it takes one to two weeks of recovery if you’ve had an explant and it’s above the muscle and a couple of weeks - depending on how hard it is to get it out from behind the muscle. However, the recovery period still depends on many factors like your genetics, diet, lifestyle, environment, and hormone balance.

If we carefully optimize these, we’ll be able to give you the possible results and decrease the time for recovery. We're also introducing new things to enhance recovery like peptide therapy because we want you to recover as efficiently as possible.

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Episode 61: Can Breast Implants Be Removed Safely?

Robert Whitfield MD — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 03:00:00 -0400

There are instances wherein breast implants may cause some complications. Some women may experience health issues related to breast implants, such as pain, discomfort, or inflammation. Thus, for purposes of easing the pain and diminishing the long-term effects caused by breast implants, many women resort to explants or removal of breast implants.

In today’s episode, we’ll be answering one of the frequently asked questions during and outside consultations as regards breast implants – can they be removed safely?

What’s the difference between injuring the lung and injuring the chest cavity?

I often get asked by my patients if it’s safe to remove breast implants because apparently, they’ve been told by other surgeons that it’s unsafe to remove the capsule. Removing such, according to them, can cause further complications including injury to surrounding structures, especially the lung.
That’s why it’s necessary for us to debunk this misconception which is causing fear to many women. I’ve been to several summit meetings and spoke about this issue. To clarify, this procedure is entirely safe to do.

Personally, I stopped using drains a few years ago and just focused on explants with no drains and no other procedure to perform. I’ve only encountered one infection and that’s still a safe percentage. So far, I’ve done over a thousand successful explants.

Supposing that in five cases in those thousands of explants, an entrance into the chest cavity occurred – that's different from injuring the lung. You're merely creating an opening in the chest cavity underneath where the intercostal muscle is.

We’re making this opening because you can't really go through the actual rib. Instead, you have to go between the ribs. You then close it by evacuating the air and creating the seal or putting in a small catheter to get the air out through a one-way valve called the Heimlich valve.
Such a valve is usually used for chest drainage and prevents the return of gases or fluids in that space. And to avoid any mishaps or other effects, we have to conduct follow-ups for the patient including chest X-rays.

What are the risks and benefits of explants?

There are risks and benefits for breast implant removal and so, if you're thinking about having this kind of surgery, it's crucial to recognize these factors. Other surgeons would say that it’s risky to conduct breast implant removal as it would cause infection, bleeding, and other complications around the breast area.

However, I’ve done over 1,500 procedures without any problem and that’s saying something. That’s an attestation that it is a safe procedure. Many women experience health issues related to breast implants, such as pain, discomfort, or inflammation which is why we offer breast implant removal or explantation to relieve them from these symptoms.

In relation to this, we'll be launching a training program for surgeons doing breast implant removal procedures. We’re raising awareness that this is not something that you should be worried about. This is why it’s important to find a reputable surgeon with appropriate knowledge and one who uses safe techniques and instruments.

It was easy for me to transition to doing explants since I’m a reconstructive plastic surgeon for the majority of my career. I predominantly did cancer reconstruction where I was exposed to all these tissues and areas. And so, this isn’t something that’s unusual for me.
In our previous episodes, we talked about inflammation and other symptoms caused by breast implants. We also talked about how helpful the Holistic Accelerated Recovery Program (HARP) is in optimizing the healing process.

It all boils down to identifying as many root causes of inflammation as possible and diminishing those around the time of surgery, as well as balancing out hormones and improving your diet.
Once we identify and decrease the causes of inflammation, everything’s going to be better. The types and durations of anesthesia also contribute to this since there are some people who don't do well with general anesthesia.

I never take these procedures lightly because I want to make sure that everything's taken care of properly so that at the end of the timeframe of recovery, we won’t have any issues.
We also have to make the patients understand that we need to optimize their liver and kidney function as well as their hormones. It is also important to have a modified balanced diet and maintain a healthy lifestyle. We always prepare our patients for the procedures to set them up for success.

What are the next steps if you’re unhappy with the aesthetics of your breast implants?

There are instances wherein women are unhappy with the outcome of their breast implants. By augmenting the breast, you're masking asymmetry. So when we do an explant, we're identifying these areas that were treated initially for that purpose.

I personally prefer and lean on fat transfer to help with that problem although, you can always do different skin lifts. If you have enough breast tissue, you can modify that with a vertical lift which gives you the lollipop scar because that allows you to reshape the bottom of the breast.
There are many factors to take into consideration when doing all these procedures and so it’s really important to have a clear discussion with the patient.

As we’ve always emphasized, it's important to find a provider who recognizes breast implant illness as a real entity and has a plan to support you both before, during, and after surgery.

If you want to consult with us, you may reach out to us. We conduct a Holistic Accelerated Recovery Program which has been very beneficial and effective for our patients.

Links and Resources

Dr. Robert Whitfield’s Website

Follow Dr. Rob on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/drrobertwhitfield/

For more information on Virtual and In Person Consultations, we always answer our messenger personally:
https://www.drrobertwhitfield.com/contact/

Episode 37: Toxicity Testing for Heavy Metals, Mold Toxins, & Environmental Toxins like Glyphosates

Robert Whitfield MD — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 03:00:00 -0400

Understanding our genetics plays a significant role in how effectively we can detoxify our bodies. Our genetics not only defines our physical characteristics but also shapes how our bodies manage and eliminate toxins. Such genetic influence permeates every aspect of our detoxification mechanisms, affecting the effectiveness of processes such as sweating, breathing, bowel movements, and urination.

When I encounter patients who are dealing with various health issues, such as chronic inflammation, particularly in cases like breast implant illness, it often ties back to the liver and kidney's ability to manage toxins. Today's episode holds such significant importance as we will explore the vital role these organs play in detoxification and delve deeper into the impact of various toxins, including heavy metals, mold toxins, and environmental toxins like glyphosates, on our overall well-being.

How Environmental Factors Impact Detoxification and Overall Health

The breast implant may contribute to chronic inflammation in a person, but their ability to manage detoxification, environmental factors like their location or environmental surroundings, air quality, water sources, and dietary choices play a significant role in shaping their health. That is why when I assess my patients, I pay close attention to their inflammatory symptoms, especially in the nervous system, where signs like brain fog, memory issues, and neuropathic pain can manifest.

These inflammatory symptoms are particularly concerning in younger individuals, especially those with children. The adverse effects are not limited solely to neurological symptoms like brain fog and memory issues. They encompass a wide array of discomforts, including conditions such as dry eyes, persistent coughing, moments of breathlessness, sensations of chest tightness or discomfort, and a spectrum of digestive issues like heartburn, acid reflux, constipation, and diarrhea. Additionally, individuals may experience musculoskeletal pain, with persistent aches and discomfort in their joints and muscles.

Fortunately, I've learned to understand how each person detoxifies by listening to their experiences, conducting genetic testing, and assessing their symptoms over many years. This helps me formulate a comprehensive view of their individual health and how they manage detoxification.

Toxins in Mold Exposure and their Effects on Health

In our office, we have a few methods to support our findings. Personally, I'm interested in conducting a urine tox test, which can reveal substances like mycotoxins, heavy metals, and environmental contaminants. The tox test report encompasses a range of toxins, and individuals with significant mold exposure might show the presence of toxins like aflatoxin, beta-one, alpha toxin, and M-one.

There are also various other mycotoxins, such as ochratoxin, which is sometimes found in wine, with varying regulations in the United States and Europe. As such, people sensitive to mold and ochratoxin can face challenges when consuming wine.

Heavy Metal Exposure and Detoxification in Patients with Implants

Heavy metals that may be found in patient's test results include aluminum, beryllium, gadolinium, nickel, platinum, antimony, bismuth, cadmium, lead, mercury, thallium, thorium, tungsten, and uranium. These metals could be acquired through environmental exposure.

Ongoing research exists about whether medical devices like hip, knee, or breast implants might contribute to metal exposure. In some cases, devices like knee or hip implants can result in what's called "poly wear." Notably, urine tests conducted after the removal of such devices, as in the case of explanted patients, have shown significant improvements in heavy metal levels, even before engaging in a detox program. However, some heavy metals, like beryllium, might linger, warranting further investigation.

Taking thorium as an example, it is used in the production of welding rods, firebrick, camera and telescope lenses, gas lantern mantles, ceramics, aerospace industry materials, and nuclear reactions. Thorium has also been employed as a contrast agent in medical procedures, but it is associated with various side effects and symptoms related to hematologic, pulmonary hypertension, fibrosis, and respiratory issues.

In addition to assessing food sensitivities through testing like GI maps and examining hormone levels and other bloodwork, I find it highly valuable to complement this with urine toxicity tests and genetics analysis. This comprehensive approach helps clarify the information I gather during patient interviews and allows us to create a comprehensive overview of why patients are experiencing their symptoms, with a particular focus on understanding their exposure to toxins.

Additionally, with respect to toxicity assessment, it's worth noting that I've encountered some unusual cases, such as exposure to triclosan. Understanding the chemical components in products we use daily is crucial. Triclosan is present in various consumer products like toothpaste, detergents, toys, and antibacterial wet wipes. Additionally, herbicides like Atrazine and Glyphosates, the latter being a systemic herbicide and crop desiccant, also warrant attention. Exposure to these substances can occur through food, skin absorption, or inhalation in areas where they are used.

Comprehensive assessments, including genetic analysis, toxicity profiles, food sensitivities, gut microbiome status, hormone levels, and other bloodwork are vital. Such a holistic approach enables us to gain a deep understanding of the root causes of patients' symptoms, providing a foundation for developing effective treatment plans, which may include surgery in cases like explant procedures, and overall strategies for improving their well-being.

Links and Resources

Dr. Robert Whitfield’s Website

Follow Dr. Rob on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/drrobertwhitfield/

For more information on Virtual and In Person Consultations, we always answer our messenger personally:
https://www.drrobertwhitfield.com/contact/

Episode 14: Can Breast Implants Be Removed Safely?

Robert Whitfield MD — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 03:00:00 -0400

In today’s episode, we’ll be answering one of the frequently asked questions during and outside consultations as regards breast implants – can they be removed safely?

What’s the difference between injuring the lung and injuring the chest cavity?

What are the risks and benefits of explants?

What are the next steps if you’re unhappy with the aesthetics of your breast implants?

As we’ve always emphasized, it's important to find a provider who recognizes breast implant illness as a real entity and has a plan to support you both before, during, and after surgery.

If you want to consult with us, you may reach out to us. We conduct a Holistic Accelerated Recovery Program which has been very beneficial and effective for our patients.

Links and Resources