Health concerns of Allergan Textured implants

Well - as I've said before - as has Robin and several others - I like my Allergan 410s.

I have had them for 8-1/2 years and have had no problems. I have had regular scans to make sure everything is OK, but that was happening from the beginning and all along before this issue came up. And regular scans will continue to happen per my plastic surgeon and my MO.

Hi all. It has been a looong time since I posted here. I popped in to see what kind of discussions there were on this already, so have found this thread helpful Recognize a few "faces" in here!

I had a PBMX in April 2014, nipple-sparing and direct to implant. I had silicone rounds placed initially (can't recall offhand what brand/model). I was not very happy with them as on my right side I had rather extensive rippling due to already being fairly thin but also due to how much tissue they took out (credit to my breast surgeon, but not so great for cosmetics later) so my tissue over the implant was very thin, despite being under the muscle. Because of one of my hobbies (scuba diving) I was very self conscious people could see that at times because of my attire.

I was given option of revision to textured anatomical implants or fat grafting, but I did not have a whole lot of fat to graft at time and it did not appeal to me at the time. So I ended up with Allergan 410s about a year after my initial surgery. Revision surgery and recovery was rather smooth sailing for me. A weekend off and then back to work.

Cosmetically speaking, I have mostly liked my Allergan 410s for most part. Shape and feel is nice. I don't mind their firmness because I am rather active and after years of having natural 30DD/E's, the minimal bounce (still with 30DD/E's) was sort of appreciated. One side has always had a better cosmetic result than the other, but my natural breasts weren't perfectly matched either so I could deal with it as I did not want to have any further surgery as long as I could avoid it. The coldness of them can be a bit odd at times - I also get a big "chill" through my chest at times, especially when in cold air or cold water, which I did not get with the silicone rounds. Still, more a weird quirk than a concern.

However, in the last year or two I did start noting some weirdness with the one side (like it was "contracting" a bit at the bottom on one side, but without any pain or discomfort, and deforming it a little more). In last couple of weeks I have also noted it felt a little like my armpit on the left side was swollen on and off. At first I thought maybe it was an ingrown hair or something but it just has a weird fullness to it. Honestly, I still was not too concerned about it, it was more a passing "hmm, that's weird" thing.

However, more importantly...while at the time when I had them placed there were already some links being made to BIA-ACL, I was not too concerned about the risk for me at the time as I was a healthy 30-something, active, healthy, no chronic health issues. Since my surgeries though, I was diagnosed hypothyroid - about 2+ years ago now. My only symptoms before that hypothyroid diagnosis were severe fatigue, low mood, etc and the diagnosis was via regular blood work. I had chalked my severe fatigue and such all up to stress or long work hours or grief after my mum's passing from metastatic BC in December 2016 so it was a rather surprising diagnosis for me. Most common cause of hypothyroid is autoimmune related (otherwise I have no other increased risks: no family history, no pregnancies, no radiation, well under 60, etc). From what I have read more recently there is some theories that the BIA-ACL may be the final consequence of a low grade, ongoing infection that causes a type of immune response that ultimately, in very rare cases, results in BIA-ALCL. I don't necessarily think the implants resulted in my hypothyroid, but I am alert to how I may be at greater risk of immune responses and inflammation.

So, I am going to see my regular physician tomorrow to get a couple referrals to plastic surgeons to discuss replacement or other options even if they need to add fat grafting (in Canada, so want the referral to keep the chain going to ensure that provincial healthcare pays for everything).

As a note, my sister had a consult this week with her own plastic surgeon as she is moving towards doing her own PBMX. Her surgeon is very experienced and knowledgeable in reconstruction and implants generally, and when he found out from her I had the Allergan 410s he asked her if I had plans to change them out soon (and I don't live anywhere near her, so he would not be getting my business!). So while I know they are telling people that there is no worry to remove them if they have not had issues, that made me pause.

Scrafgal

Thanks for your response. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on perspective I suppose?) my husband does not have much to spare either. Perhaps I shall curse him for avoiding developing a middle-aged beer belly so far!

We will see what the PS says. I think from what I can tell there has been a lot of developments even in the last five years, so maybe they can do more with what I do have than they could do before. Besides, I have been doing my best to eat a little more chocolate than I used to

Mantra - so sorry about the rupture. Hope the surgery goes smoothly.

I'm one of those who is perfectly happy with my Allergan 410s and not in a rush to do anything. However I do have a five year check up scheduled for the end of the month with my PS. It will be interesting to hear what he says.

bc101....just to add to your post, in a major reversal, the FDA asked for the recall...

To be clear, Allergan are recalling implants that are unused / in inventory. They are not recalling implants that are in use.

The recommendation remains that no action be taken by women who have these implants and who are not experiencing any problems.

At this point there have been 573 cases of BIA-ALCL identified worldwide. I have no doubt that this number will go up as more cases are found, however based on the millions of these implants used worldwide, we are still looking at a risk level that is a fraction of a percent. Everyone with these implants needs to decide for themselves what they will do.

I would not expect the FDA to recommend removal anytime soon, given the data thus far and how the FDA is inclined to operate. So, while there is no change recommendation, we can't really conclude that today's announcements have no meaning. The argument used to be "there's been no recall..." Now that there is a recall, we are just happy the there is no recommendation to remove....How much meaning today's announcements have is for everyone to judge on their own. Just as many women here often say that their doctors don't make decisions for them about treatment, the FDA doesn't make decisions for me either...As everyone has said, we own our own decisions based on our individual risk tolerance.

Nice work, bc.org. Thanks for sharing this broadly, mods!

Angelfaith...your plastic surgeon is not alone in expressing such a sentiment.

Also, some had already stopped using textured implants in new patients, before the recall...including my PS at MD Anderson....he exchanged mine for a smooth one back in May...My choice!

I had implants put in 10 years ago. They are not the textured ones that are being recalled but they are the same brand. A few years ago I went to the dr complaining about my breast size enlarging for no real reason... the implants were a c and I was now a ddd with no real weight gain. It didn't make sense for them to get that big in such a short amount of time. I was also having sharp pain in the nipple area. Now I see the recall and symptoms that are similar to those affected. Should I be worried? Should I get them removed? I am very concerned for myhealth.

I agree with MinusTwo. You should consult with your PS and, after 10 years it seems that an MRI would be a likely next step. As I understand it, the known issue is with the textured, so that might give you some comfort if you don't have the textured implants by Allergan. The brand is huge is the US, so a lot if us have Allergans!

Angel - you are right - everyone should listen to her OWN body. I have had Allergan 410s for 9 years and never had a bit of trouble. We are all different.

I too would have kept mine. I unfortunately one ruptured so they need to be replaced with smooth silicone.

Praying for the best outcomes for you, Mantra. We've all just been through enough already. Thanks for the update.