Quite a few moons ago now, I discovered that Breast Implant Illness (BII) is a thing! I stumbled upon it entirely by accident after a beautiful client of mine just wasn’t getting better, and she should have been.

BII happens as a result of a huge inflammatory response in the body due to having a foreign object held within the tissues. Implant illness is not just related to breast implants, but that’s a blog for another day!

I’m not going to make a statement here about why BII exists, and what women experience. If you want that information you can find it in abundance in websites like THIS ONE. A quick google will take you into loads of options for pages of women suffering from this horrible affliction, who then had symptoms resolve after having their implants removed.

I will make one statement about breast implant-explant surgery. It must be done via a procedure called en bloc capsulectomy. This means that the capsule or scar tissue surrounding the implants is taken out with the implants fully enclosed inside. These capsules are not opened during the surgery, keeping everything held within intact until they are out of the body. There are two reasons that this type of surgery is the only type that women should consider when having their implants out:

Ruptures sometimes cannot be diagnosed properly through imaging techniques and are only found once surgery commences, or in an enbloc procedure, until surgery is completed. You don’t want that toxic garbage flowing out into the body!
The capsules have absorbed a LOT of toxicity and are usually very inflamed. You do not want that in the body after you are all closed up. If a surgeon tells you that the body will absorb the scar tissue – RUN!!!
Finding the right surgeon for you is sometimes difficult. There are LOTS of red flags that you should pay attention to when looking for the right surgeon.

You have NOT found the right surgeon if:

They tell you that they will ‘try’ to get all the capsule out.
They tell you it’s not necessary to remove the capsule.
They tell you it’s not necessary to remove the capsule en bloc with the implant held within.
They tell you that you do not need the implants or tissues to be tested through pathology after explant surgery.
They refuse to agree to give you photos of the implants both in and out of the capsule after surgery.
They tell you that the body will absorb the scar tissue and it’s nothing to worry about.
They tell you that you don’t need any nutrient supplementation throughout and after surgery.
They tell you that drains are completely unnecessary.
They tell you you have to have a lift or augmentation at the same time, otherwise you will be left deformed.
They tell you that they will take them out if it makes you feel better, but there is really no such thing as BII (Facepalm!!).
You HAVE found the right surgeon if:

They acknowledge that your symptoms can be and probably are caused by implants.
They acknowledge that it is in upmost important to remove the capsules and implants in an enbloc procedure.
They can guarantee they will get all of the capsule out even if it is adhered to ribs.
They talk you through the process of muscle repair if you have had them placed under the pectoral muscles.
They prescribe you a whole bunch of nutrients to assist the body to heal and detox OR refer you to a naturopath or integrative GP to do this for you.
They place drains and will remove once the liquid is under 20ml per day.
They place no pressure on you to do a lift, fat transfer or augmentation. In fact if they recommend doing this in 12 months time they get another tick (breasts can ‘fluff’ out a lot over that time and a good experienced surgeon knows this).
Are happy to send off the capsules and implants to test for inflammatory bodies, moulds, heavy metals and parasites.
They no longer do implant surgery and specialise in explant and helping women recover their health.
Explant surgery is my no means a walk in the park, however you can make it a lot easier on yourself through diligent preparation work. This work includes eating a whole foods, clean diet and finding a practitioner to help support you with nutrient supplementation.

The bare basics that I would recommend for everyone for explant surgery include:

Zinc
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Collagen
Probiotics
Arnica
From here I personalise the healing and detox protocol for my clients who are undergoing this procedure. The first thing is to detox the general anaesthesia and pain medications. Usually I have been working with my clients for months preceding their surgery so I have already made sure their detoxification pathways are open. Through testing modalities I then find where any nutrient deficiencies are, and what the toxicity load looks like. I tailor my clients’ recovery plans to suit their individual needs.

After the incisions are healed (generally from 2 weeks but where there are complications or it was a difficult surgery it can be up to 6), I highly recommend finding a local facility in your area that offers infrared sauna and float magnesium therapy. This will support the detoxification processes of the body by taking the load of the liver and kidney, and making your lymphatic and skin work. The colour of the scars will lighten over time. I use my Magic Cream to both heal AND lighten them. It contains helichrysum which has so many amazing actions for all things wound healing and scarring reduction. You can buy it HERE.

From approximately 8 weeks after surgery you can begin massage to help “fluff” out the breast – break down scar tissue and heal adhesions so they look and, more importantly, feel better.

My final recommendation for healing after breast implant-explant surgery, is to find a practitioner that resonates with you to start to work out some of the emotional toxicity within the body. As we detox physically, there is also the need to detox emotionally; and to connect spiritually. This is probably my favourite part of the healing process, as it is where the true transformation lies. Although chakra work and emotional healing is part of my treasure trove of healing, I have many practitioners and healers within my network that I will often refer my clients to. Especially if an issue is beyond my scope of care.

As you now understand, there is a great deal that can be done naturally along your healing journey. When looking for a practitioner to support you, consider all of the information and make an informed decision about what is right for you. Having the right people in your corner will make an enormous difference in the outcome for you.

If you need to book an appointment to talk to me about how I can support you in your journey and can do that HERE.

Having this surgery is a huge decision, not only from a physical standpoint, but emotionally as well. Being equipped to navigate this journey is so, SO important. If this is you and you are travelling down this path, I sincerely congratulate you for making your health a priority and wish you a seamless recovery.

You got this!