Social media is blowing up with countless stories of unexplained illnesses after getting breast implants and Christina Hall is revealing hers. The HGTV star is rethinking her implants after suffering from several mysterious ailments. “I’ve had some unexplained health stuff for years and now I’m considering the thought that this could be Breast implant related,” the mom of three wrote in an Instagram post last month. The 39-year-old continued, “Some of my issues include: Inflammation, autoimmune issues (Hashimoto’s disease, PCOS, Raynaud’s syndrome), unexplained skin rashes, joint and muscle pain, dry eyes, GI issues, SIBO, acid reflux, brain fog, hormone imbalances, swollen lymph nodes and adrenal fatigue. I test positive for ANA. I’m gluten free and mostly dairy free.”
Hall isn’t the first celebrity to come forward. Former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick announced back in April she had her implants removed after unresolved health issues and Karen Soika MD, cosmetic surgeon with Greenwich Cosmetic Surgery tells us, ” This is not a ” new syndrome” AKA Breast implant disease. Christina Hall is not the first celebrity. Many patients have developed symptoms that they cannot link to other causes and ruling out other diagnoses can lead to the correlation of possible breast implant disease. Yolanda Hadid from the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” was one of the first celebrities to come forth with a multiple array of odd symptoms.”
After discovering she had mercury and lead poisoning, which Hall believes is a result “from all the gross houses,” she worked on while filming “Flip or Flop,” she’s all about taking care of herself. In an interview with E! News the “Christina on the Coast” star said, “I’m just really focused on doing a cleanse right now, eating super clean. I’m doing supplement detox and there’s a local wellness place nearby where I’ve been doing hyperbaric chambers and IVs.” In addition, she’s making big changes. “I have a couple of appointments about getting my implants removed.” Eat This, Not That! Health spoke with doctors who explain what to know about breast implants and signs that indicate it’s time to have them removed. As always, please consult with your physician for medical advice.
Michael J. Stein MD MAS FRCSC, board certified plastic surgeon from Manhattan tells us, “Breast implantation can be a safe and effective procedure. It is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures worldwide. Finding a plastic surgeon who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and who performs these procedures regularly is advisable. Being an informed patient is extremely important. You should know about what incision the surgeon is using, if the implant is going to be below or above the muscle, what type of implant is going to be used, and what are the complications and alternatives to surgery. The longer the implants are in the higher chance for something to happen that requires revision. This does not necessarily mean it is dangerous to your health- it just means that there is a higher chance with time that the implants will need to be replaced or removed.”
Dr. Shirley Madhère, holistic plastic surgeon and founder of Jet Set Beauty Rx tells us, “Implants are a foreign body and have a limited lifespan within your body. They will require consistent awareness and potential maintenance, and at some point will need to be changed, modified or removed. While the skin and tissues around the implants age, the implants themselves are not subject to the same aging factors. Therefore, with time, additional procedures may be required to maintain or regain the desired result. In addition, breast implants have been shown, in some patients, to be associated with certain symptoms as breast implant illness. Moreover, there may be a possible link between breast implants and lymphoma, which is a type of cancer of immune cells.”
Dr. Stein says, “Like any surgery, breast implantation can be associated with complications. General complications include bleeding, infection, scar separation, hypertrophic scarring, breast asymmetry etc. Specific complications of implants include capsular contracture, implant malposition, implant rupture, BIA-ALCL etc.”
Dr. Soika emphasizes, “First of all, all surgeries come with risks such as infections and bleeding. However, the surgery is typically one hour and very well tolerated for most patients with no complications. The more common complication that a patient needs to be aware of is contracture. It’s the body’s response to the foreign material that causes overproduction of scar tissue around the Implants that over time can be painful but also disfigure the breasts appearance and shape. This can lead to needing another surgery in time to remove the scar tissue and even the implants. As well as typically breast implants that are silicone should be removed every 10 years. They also may rupture resulting in free floating silicone in the body. And free floating silicone is not desired.”
Dr. Madhère says, “The operation to undergo breast implantation is quite safe. The procedure is associated with a single-digit complication rate. However, as with all surgical procedures, breast augmentation does have risks and potential complications. While swelling, bruising and a scar are anticipated as part of the surgical process, complications are unexpected adverse events that may include, but are not limited to, infection, displacement, patient dissatisfaction, breast pain, deflation or rupture, and excessive bleeding (hematoma) that requires immediate re-operation.”
Dr. Madhère tells us, “Breast implant illness is a cluster of symptoms that include brain fog, hair loss, persistent joint pain, chronic fatigue and headaches. Breast-implant associated large cell lymphoma is a type of cancer that begins in the lymphatic system.”
According to Dr. Stein, “Recently, rare cancers such as breast implant associated ALCL and breast implant associated SCC have been discovered in the capsules around some implants. One textured implant which had been associated with BIA-ALCL was pulled off the market in 2019.”
Dr. Soika explains that a brand called Biocell® is no longer being used because of major health issues linked to the implants. “This brand has no longer been allowed to be in use or most surgeons avoid the product due to this complication.”
In addition, Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman law firm has filed several lawsuits from women who have been implanted with recalled Biocell® breast implants. Their site states, ” Allergan Biocell® implants are saline-filled and silicone-filled textured breast implants that have been recalled due to concerns that the implants may cause cancer, specifically implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). BIA-ALCL is a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (cancer of the immune system). In most cases, BIA-ALCL is found in the scar tissue and fluid around the implant, but in some cases, it can spread throughout the body. Some symptoms of ALCL include persistent swelling or pain near the breast implant, and development seromas.”
In 2019, “Allergan and the FDA announced a recall, after an investigation confirmed that Allergan Biocell® textured breast implants were linked to a higher cancer risk than any other type of breast implant. The FDA also indicated that the breast implant cancer problems have resulted in:
–573 Breast Implant BIA-ALCL cases reported worldwide
–84% (481) of the cancer cases involved Allergan Breast Implants
–33 deaths from BIA-ALCL have been identified
–More than 90% of breast implant cancer deaths where the model is known involve Allergan devices.”
Dr. Madhère explains, “If you experience a collection of symptoms that include unexplained brain fog, chronic fatigue, persistent joint pain, muscle aches, anxiety, and respiratory issues, it is advisable to consult with your surgeon for evaluation, diagnosis and appropriate intervention.”
Dr. Stein says, “One way ALCL presents is a fluid collection around the implant called a seroma. If this is discovered your surgeon will aspirate it and send it to the pathologist to look for specific markers of ALCL.”
According to Dr. Soika, “Breast implant disease is a collection of many symptoms in patients that have breast implants such as: fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, dry eyes and many other health concerns. Healthcare providers diagnose Breast implant disease by ruling out other health conditions as there is no test to diagnose. It is important to say that it’s an understudied area and illness and it is not proven that implants cause illnesses. As many other underlying illnesses common In Women such as thyroid disorders and autoimmune illnesses ca. Have the same symptoms. More needs to be studied in order to establish proof of breast implant disease. But breast implants in a patient prone to autoimmune disease in my opinion should be avoided.”
Dr. Stein advises, “As always, consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who specializes in breast surgery is warranted. Your surgeon will examine you and if there are concerning signs they might send you for some investigations. Abnormal hardening (capsular contracture) and implant malposition are the most common reasons to get implants out.”
Dr. Madhère says, “The more common indications for removing breast implants include changes in patient aesthetic preferences, breast pain or deformity from excessive internal scarring (capsular contracture), and breast implant illness. Size matters. For optimal outcomes, choose implant volume sizes that complement and are harmonious with your body shape, weight and size. Also, consider your lifestyle, particularly if you are athletic. Breast implants help to improve the quality of life for many patients. Therefore, it is also important to consider the risk-benefit ratio before undergoing this operation. Implants, of all types, have a “shelf life.” The longer they are in place, the higher the risk that they may need to be adjusted, replaced or removed.
