Breast implant removal on the rise in Australia as researchers study health issues

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Breast implant removal surgery was one considered a rare procedure. But new data reveals more women are opting to have their implants removed- or explanted- over concerns that the implants could be making them sick.

Transcript

00:00 Dermal therapist Christina Tambor's job is to help people look and feel good.

00:08 But when she underwent cosmetic breast surgery more than a decade ago, it had the opposite

00:12 effect.

00:13 Weight gain, hormonal changes, anxiety, suicidal thoughts which are really bizarre.

00:21 The symptoms have been associated with breast implant illness.

00:25 And while doctors are yet to recognise it as an official medical condition, an increasing

00:30 number of women are getting them removed.

00:33 And I know that I've done the right thing because I feel incredible now.

00:37 New figures show explant surgeries have increased over the past six years, including women post

00:43 cancer who had their implants removed.

00:45 Plastic and reconstructive surgeons say patients present with a range of symptoms.

00:50 I've been removing breast implants now for say five or six years with people that come

00:55 in who feel that they're unwell and probably about 80% of them will come back in six months

01:01 and say they feel a lot better.

01:02 A Macquarie University Australian first study investigated breast implant illness among

01:08 226 women.

01:10 77 underwent surgical removal with 85% reporting an improvement to their health six months

01:16 later.

01:17 When you have so many symptoms and so many variables, you have to take time, systematically

01:23 go through all the data and obviously look at outcomes over a period of time.

01:26 Even though more women are getting their implants removed, breast augmentations continues to

01:31 be one of the top cosmetic surgeries performed in Australia.

01:35 Any woman with an implant needs to be checked regularly and by regularly I mean every year.

01:40 And report any adverse effects to the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

01:44 For more information visit www.australian.gov.au/breast-implant-study.

01:45 For more information visit www.australian.gov.au/breast-implant-study.

01:45 [End of Audio]

01:46 Transcription by CastingWords

01:47 © The Australian Government, 2013.

01:48 © The Australian Government, 2013.

01:50 © The Australian Government, 2013.

01:52 © The Australian Government, 2013.

01:54 © The Australian Government, 2013.

01:56 © The Australian Government, 2013.

03:53 © The Australian Government, 2013.

04:03 © The Australian Government, 2013.

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