More and more Quebec women who are sick or worried about becoming sick are having surgery to get rid of their breast implants, even if they have to pay more than $10,000 out of pocket.
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“It’s very dangerous,” says Maude Bordeleau, 42, who says she is “poisoned” by her implants that she had removed in 2019.
For years, women have complained of being sick or living in pain since they had breast implants.
In 2019, a type of implant was withdrawn from the market, because it can cause a form of cancer, and now a recent American opinion raises fears of new risks.
Sick patients
In addition, many patients claim to be suffering from breast implant disease. Concentration difficulties, extreme fatigue, intestinal problems: a variety of symptoms are mentioned.
Founder of the Breast Implant Disease support group, Julie Elliott notes a marked increase in women willing to pay to have them removed privately over the past year.
“We receive dozens of testimonials a month. Many say, “I didn’t know the disease existed.” If they had known it was causing trouble, they never would have done it. It’s a new phenomenon, she says. Some have them removed a few weeks after having had them! »
Photo Martin Alarie
Plastic surgeon in Montreal, Dr. Stephen Nicolaidis has specialized in the removal of breast implants for four years. He finds that women’s health improves rapidly afterwards.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Stephen Nicolaidis stopped offering breast implants in 2021.
“At first, I had hopes of determining the risk factors that lead a woman to breast implant disease […]. But I’ve met plenty of women who have zero risk factors and still got sick. There, I said: OK, that’s enough. I no longer feel comfortable placing implants,” he says.
For four years, he has performed 615 explantations in his private clinic in Montreal, and operates on women across the country. Some patients make this choice after several years or only a few months.
Once the foreign bodies are removed, the patients regain their health, he notes.
“I can count on the finger of one hand the number of women who have not had a satisfactory improvement,” says the specialist who combines explantation with a breast lift.
” You saved my life “
According to him, breast implant disease could affect up to 10% of women.
“I wouldn’t continue to do this if it wasn’t something rewarding. But almost everyone comes back telling me: you saved my life. It encourages me to continue. »
In Quebec, breast implant disease is not officially recognized as a medical problem by the Association of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery Specialists of Quebec.
By email, however, it is said to recognize that women “are experiencing symptoms that could potentially be attributed to their implants. »
Poorly protected
For the Régie de l’Assurance Maladie du Québec (RAMQ) to reimburse the explantation, the doctor must “describe the medical condition of his patient and it is he who determines that it is medically required”, answers Caroline Dupont, door -word of the RAMQ.
Obviously, the waiting times are also much longer than in the private sector. For Ms. Elliott, it is obvious that women are not well protected in Quebec. She calls for a provincial registry of breast implants.
“When you choose to smoke, you know it [que c’est dangereux], there are disgusting pictures on the package. When you walk into the surgeon’s office […] he shows you beautiful brand new implants that come out of the factory and he tells you that it’s safe”, she denounces.
- Between 8,000 and 8,500 women have breast implants placed each year in Quebec, either for aesthetic reasons or after an illness. In 2020, 145,000 women wore them, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Disease symptoms breast implants
- Concentration difficulties
- Hair loss
- Anxiety
- dry eyes
- Autoimmune diseases
- Muscle and bone pain
- Skin changes (spots, rashes)
- Extreme tiredness
- Shortness of breath
- Intestinal problems
- Inflammation
Source: Food & Drug Administration
Still sick after three years
Photo QMI Agency, Andréanne Lemire
Even three years after having her carcinogenic implants removed, Maude Bordeleau deplores the lack of medical follow-up, and must go
A 42-year-old woman who is still ill three years after having her potentially carcinogenic breast implants removed is paying thousands of dollars for treatment in Toronto, failing to be taken care of in Quebec.
“It’s as if I’m aging 10 or 20 years faster than everyone else,” says Maude Bordeleau. My system is completely down. »
In 2012, the Trois-Rivières resident underwent breast implant surgery. Like many women, she didn’t like her breasts after breastfeeding her two children.
Problems quickly
However, the 32-year-old mother never thought that this cosmetic surgery would cause her so many health concerns. From the first weeks, her menstrual cycle was disrupted.
“I had ovarian cysts, heavy bleeding, anemia, fatigue, she lists. I went to consult, they told me that everything was fine. »
Over the years, the problems have accumulated: intolerance to cold, pain in the back and rib cage, memory loss, plaques on the skin. The list is long.
“At night, it oozed around the breasts,” she recalls. I thought I had had a stroke, I was no longer able to read text! I had to get this removed, and fast. It really didn’t work. »
In June 2019, the lady paid $8,000 privately to have her implants removed.
“My challenge was to have them removed as quickly as possible. The more I kept them, the more I poisoned myself, ”she confides, lamenting the lack of support in the public network.
After the surgery, Ms. Bordeleau was shocked to realize that her implants were broken. One of them now weighed only 36g, rather than the original 375g.
nothing natural
Polyurethane, Teflon, silicone: the woman who has learned a lot about implants considers herself “poisoned”.
“There is nothing natural in it, nothing that we would like to put in a body”, she denounces.
Around the same time in 2019, Health Canada withdrew the type of implant it had, Allergan’s macro-textures, from the market due to cancer risk. Since then, the woman says she has never been contacted by either the health authorities or her plastic surgeon for any follow-up.
“Doctors don’t say what you’re entitled to, I haven’t been informed! “She laments, still awaiting information on the class action against Allergan.
“I thought I was okay after the surgery. But, I will still be at risk for cancer, even if they have them removed. It can take years to get out,” she worries.
Abandoned by the system
Although she has gotten better since the removal of the implants, Ms. Bordeleau continues to experience all kinds of problems. The woman even travels to Toronto to undergo ozone and vitamin C treatments to be detoxified. For the past few months, she has spent at least $5,000.
“I’ve been abandoned by the public system,” says the one on the waiting list—for a family doctor.
Although she regrets having had implants, Ms. Bordeleau is hopeful of regaining her health. And she strongly suggests that women educate themselves before going under the knife.
“There are many women who are wronged. As soon as you see the word medical, you think it will be safe. But no,” she says.
All carcinogenic implants?
A recent American medical opinion reveals that all types of breast implants can cause cancer, a disturbing news that will be followed closely by doctors in Quebec.
On September 8, the Food & Drug administration (FDA) in the United States, the equivalent of Health Canada, revealed that all types of implants (filled with saline water or silicone, and smooth or textured surface) can cause cancers (lymphoma and squamous cell carcinoma ).
For the moment, only 22 cases have been reported among our neighbors. The incidence rate and risk factors remain unknown.
Rare, but worrying
“This is an emerging issue and our understanding is evolving,” the notice read. According to the FDA, the cancer grows in the scar tissue around the implant, which is called the capsule.
Recall that in 2019, macro-textured implants from the company Allergan were withdrawn from the Canadian market, after cases of cancer of the immune system (anaplastic large cell lymphoma associated with a breast implant) were detected.
According to Health Canada, 64 cases of this cancer have been confirmed so far, and 25 are suspected. Three deaths are also confirmed. Note that this data is from a year ago.
In its latest notice, the FDA invites doctors and patients to report cases of cancer.
“It’s very new. For now, it is said to be very, very rare, reacts Dr. Stephen Nicolaidis, a plastic surgeon. But that’s exactly how it started with lymphoma. »
In this regard, Health Canada indicates on its web page: “We are actively monitoring the situation. We will inform Canadians as needed. »
It is also suggested that women who have implants have regular breast exams.
No case in Quebec
The Association of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery Specialists of Quebec refused the interview request of the Log on this subject. She said in a statement that she will follow the “file closely”, but does not recommend that women without symptoms remove their implants.
No case of these new cancers has been reported in Quebec so far, according to the Association.