Despite countless doctor visits and numerous tests, Geary’s bloodwork always came back normal. No one could explain the troubling symptoms that plagued her. “I have something foreign in my body, and my body is reacting in various different ways,” she expressed, grappling with the bewildering situation.
Geary’s health struggles escalated to a point where she experienced severe memory loss, leaving her unable to recall basic details of her daily life. For Geary, this was the final straw. “It was terrifying,” she recalled. “I couldn’t remember anything.”
It wasn’t until she stumbled upon information online about Breast Implant Illness (BII) that she began to suspect her implants might be the source of her suffering. Upon discovering a list of 50 symptoms associated with the condition, she was shocked to find she experienced 27 of them.
Breast augmentation remains the most popular plastic surgery procedure in the U.S., with around 300,000 surgeries performed each year, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. However, some patients, like Geary, report severe health issues that often go unexplained.
In 2019, Geary made the difficult decision to have her implants removed and replaced with a fat transfer—a more natural alternative. She described her recovery as almost immediate. “The night of my surgery, I actually looked in the mirror, and my face looked different,” she said, feeling a renewed sense of self.
Geary found Dr. Ritu Chopra, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills who specializes in “explant” surgery, the removal of breast implants. Dr. Chopra shared that he stopped performing implant surgeries after being inundated with patients experiencing unexplained illnesses. “We didn’t know the reason they were sick, but once we took their implants out, they felt better,” he explained.
While not all patients with breast implants experience illness, Dr. Chopra estimates that between 5% to 10% may encounter health issues related to their implants. In October 2021, the FDA approved new labeling to warn patients of the potential risks associated with breast implants. “The new labeling warns patients that there is a possible side effect of breast implants and that they could get sick,” Chopra noted.
The internet has become a powerful resource for women facing similar challenges, with online support groups and countless individuals raising awareness about Breast Implant Illness. Geary now considers herself a survivor of BII, dedicated to sharing her story in hopes of helping others.
“If it helps just one person by opening myself up and telling my story, then I’m super grateful,” Geary stated, embodying the spirit of resilience and the quest for answers that many women in similar situations share.
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