Carol Small is a survivor of breast cancer.

Carol Small

My breast implants led to more cancer, heart failure and years of pain: © stock.adobe.com.

When advising women considering implants, I never tell them not to get them. Instead, I share my story and what the future medical requirements might entail. Here's what I tell them:

In 1994, I had a single mastectomy with reconstruction. I was a small B cup, and the surgeon made me a full C. I then consulted a better surgeon who made me a small B again, but one side was high and the natural one was lower. I found yet another surgeon who made me perfectly symmetrical. Fast forward to 2015, my implant was becoming wonky. In addition, I had a silent heart attack in 2015, and my stage zero breast cancer had metastasized to my liver and bones in 2012.

I didn't realize that breast implants cause tremendous inflammation, taxing your autoimmune system. Inflammation causes cancer to spread and contributes to heart attacks. I had no prior heart disease, so doctors couldn't explain my heart attack. My oncologist couldn't account for my very low white blood cell count with my metastasis. Well, my immune system was fighting the inflammation. He discounted all my symptoms and had the attitude that I wouldn't last five years anyway. The implant was by then quite huge, very painful, and high up near my collarbone. I had fluid aspirated, but the oncologist was too ignorant to test for CD30.

Finally, I went to a major teaching hospital three hours from my house. The subsequent biopsy showed BIA-ALCL (breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma). During further surgery, I was told, "I just had to keep you safe; I couldn't remove all of the tissue on your spongy ribs, and several of your ribs were only nubs." Since he couldn't remove all the cancer, I had to undergo CHOP chemo. I lost my hair, a year or more of my life, and so on.

After chemo, I didn't start to feel better, and it was determined that the chemo had ruined my heart, leading to heart failure. Since that time, heart failure has caused A-fib. None of this was necessary. None of this should have happened. If I had gone flat in 1994, either one side or both, I would never have had to endure this terrible journey. I would be healthy now.

I tell this true story to try to inform other women about the dangers of breast implants. The manufacturers assure you they are safe, but then they make a tremendous amount of money selling them. Doctors will tell you they are safe, but they get kickbacks from the manufacturers to say that. The FDA finally caved a bit in 2019 when 70 of us showed up and 20 of us testified to how close to death we all were because of our breast implants. However, the FDA seems to be siding with the manufacturers again — kickbacks to the FDA?

To end this diatribe, I won't tell you not to get implants, but I will tell you that worldwide, we women attest to how very dangerous they are. Some of us have died. At the FDA hearings, three women described being so sick from BII (Breast Implant Illness) that they seriously considered suicide. We will never know how many women did succeed. Doctors mostly do not recognize BII nor BIA-ALCL, even though it is written in their journals. So, they tell patients their symptoms are all in their heads. Or, like my oncologist, he had never heard of diseases caused by breast implants, so he just discounted my symptoms. Many more diseases caused by breast implants are now being discovered, one being squamous cell carcinoma, which is fast-spreading and deadly.

Choose carefully. Will big breasts really make you a better woman? A better person? Do you have excellent insurance? Because with an implant, the FDA recommends that you exchange it every 7-10 years due to the toxicity of the degrading shell in your immune system. The FDA also recommends that you have annual MRIs to test for leakage or rupture. Silicone leakage goes to your brain and organs. One of my FDA Breast Implant Meetings’ roommates had silicone in her brain. Saline-filled implants, when extracted, often have black mold in them. So, leakage or rupture could make you very sick.

Are you rich? Insurance won't cover any of this unless you have breast cancer. There is an FDA black box warning on all implants. If you don't believe me — do your own research.

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Articles

The narrative highlights the potential health risks associated with breast implants, including inflammation, cancer spread, and heart complications. The author shares a personal journey of multiple surgeries, a cancer diagnosis, and subsequent health issues, emphasizing the lack of awareness and recognition of breast implant-related illnesses among medical professionals. Despite FDA warnings and testimonies from affected women, the author suggests that financial incentives may influence the perceived safety of implants. The story serves as a cautionary tale, urging women to thoroughly research and consider the long-term implications before opting for implants.

If I’d gone flat after my mastectomy, I might be healthy now, but my breast implants led to more cancer, heart failure and years of pain. 

Carol Small

Why I Regret Choosing Implants After Breast Cancer

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