BreastsToBe

Hi @joyfulgirl99, apologies it had been a while since I’ve logged on, and I didn’t get any notifications in my emails!
Yes I’ve had mine checked out via ultrasound and there is apparently no indication of ALCL. Please be aware that this cancer generally develops after 7 years post implant however.
There have so far been over 80 reported cases Australia wide resulting in a few deaths. While the risk is minimal, it is also very real, and I feel the numbers will only increase as time passes for ladies with textured implants.
I will be having mine removed this year (8 years post implant) as the risk is not worth it to me. Had I known all those years ago I would have certainly chosen to implant with smooth implants, or not at all!
On a tangent and as @Elle Anderson mentioned above, Breast Implant Illness (BII) is another concern and I do have some symptoms of this which I hope explant will alleviate, however they could be totally unrelated to the implants.
The PS I consulted with for explant agreed that the Silimends should be removed and also said I have capsular contracture in one breast.
@Mona76 if you haven’t had your explant yet, please be aware that in some circumstances (when deemed medically necessary) you can access your superannuation to fund the surgery. I will be doing this for my surgery.
Also ladies, if you weren’t already aware Similed implants have been banned for use in Australia since late 2017. Those who implanted with Plastic Surgeons should have been notified pursuant to APS guidelines. As I implanted with a Cosmetic Surgeon I was not informed of the ban/proven ALCL risks.

Hi @joyfulgirl99, apologies it had been a while since I’ve logged on, and I didn’t get any notifications in my emails!
Yes I’ve had mine checked out via ultrasound and there is apparently no indication of ALCL. Please be aware that this cancer generally develops after 7 years post implant however.
There have so far been over 80 reported cases Australia wide resulting in a few deaths. While the risk is minimal, it is also very real, and I feel the numbers will only increase as time passes for ladies with textured implants.
I will be having mine removed this year (8 years post implant) as the risk is not worth it to me. Had I known all those years ago I would have certainly chosen to implant with smooth implants, or not at all!
On a tangent and as @Elle Anderson mentioned above, Breast Implant Illness (BII) is another concern and I do have some symptoms of this which I hope explant will alleviate, however they could be totally unrelated to the implants.
The PS I consulted with for explant agreed that the Silimends should be removed and also said I have capsular contracture in one breast.
@Mona76 if you haven’t had your explant yet, please be aware that in some circumstances (when deemed medically necessary) you can access your superannuation to fund the surgery. I will be doing this for my surgery.
Also ladies, if you weren’t already aware Similed implants have been banned for use in Australia since late 2017. Those who implanted with Plastic Surgeons should have been notified pursuant to APS guidelines. As I implanted with a Cosmetic Surgeon I was not informed of the ban/proven ALCL risks.

Hi Jen, if you join the BII Group on FB you’ll find a list of recommended explant surgeons for your state. These surgeons are all experienced and recognise the importance in removing the entire capsule, appropriate pathology testing etc. x

Hi @joyfulgirl99, apologies it had been a while since I’ve logged on, and I didn’t get any notifications in my emails!
Yes I’ve had mine checked out via ultrasound and there is apparently no indication of ALCL. Please be aware that this cancer generally develops after 7 years post implant however.
There have so far been over 80 reported cases Australia wide resulting in a few deaths. While the risk is minimal, it is also very real, and I feel the numbers will only increase as time passes for ladies with textured implants.
I will be having mine removed this year (8 years post implant) as the risk is not worth it to me. Had I known all those years ago I would have certainly chosen to implant with smooth implants, or not at all!
On a tangent and as @Elle Anderson mentioned above, Breast Implant Illness (BII) is another concern and I do have some symptoms of this which I hope explant will alleviate, however they could be totally unrelated to the implants.
The PS I consulted with for explant agreed that the Silimends should be removed and also said I have capsular contracture in one breast.
@Mona76 if you haven’t had your explant yet, please be aware that in some circumstances (when deemed medically necessary) you can access your superannuation to fund the surgery. I will be doing this for my surgery.
Also ladies, if you weren’t already aware Similed implants have been banned for use in Australia since late 2017. Those who implanted with Plastic Surgeons should have been notified pursuant to APS guidelines. As I implanted with a Cosmetic Surgeon I was not informed of the ban/proven ALCL risks.

I had mine done 4 years ago knowing I'd want children, and to breastfeed in a few years. I had my first baby in February, he is now 7 months old and exclusively breastfed. I'm happy to send you some pics of before and of them now after pregnancy and 7 months of breastfeeding if you're interested? These are the changes I've noticed:
- they grew SO big during pregnancy and are still pretty huge. Pre baby my breasts were a nice full C to small D. They're now DD to E with one breast being significantly larger as it's the one bub feeds from mostly so makes more milk.
- they are covered in stretch marks because of how rapidly they grew when my milk came in. Some women don't experience this issue, depends on your skin. I hope they'll fade in time.
- they actually look even more natural now.
Despite all the changes I'm still happy I got them done pre baby, although I probably would've gone smaller implants if I'd have known I'd be breastfeeding for so long (before having a baby I thought I wouldn't breastfeed but did a complete 180 when bub arrived). I got 3.5 years of enjoyment from them I just hope they go down back to their pre baby size once I'm done feeding. If not I'll save for a revision to decrease size. Due to medical reasons there may not be any more babies in our future, and if there is, there will only be one more.
I say go for it now! So long as you're willing to accept any potential changes x

After commenting on this thread last night I emailed Dr Harwood who called me immediately. He addressed all of my concerns and in a nutshell said there is no need for alarm as:
- the issue is to do with surface particles, all implants are sterilised prior to insertion anyway so the implants are cleansed of any potential contaminants
- the concerns apply only to implants manufactured post March 2014 (mine were a previous batch)
- if there were surface contaminants on the implants, there would have been symptoms soon after surgery (infection etc)
- the investigating body is not even sure at this stage whether the contaminants affect breast implants as the particular factory under investigation also manufactures other Silimed products
- the implants have not been recalled, it is a temporary suspension while investigations are underway
- the concerns are not related to the quality of the implants or the materials used, it's purely a surface contamination concern
Furthrt to my conversation with Dr Harwood, I found this article http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-25/tga-advise-surgeons-risk-from-silimed-implants-extremely-low/6805802 stating that the contaminants were found to be silica and cotton fibres and that any risk to patients is extremely low.

Hi Aj! I went through Dr Harwood for my BA - if you go to my profile and look at all my forum posts you will see just how pleased I am with my results Have a look at my pics too if you like. I got 315 high profile teardrop brazilians under the muscle and to be honest, I think they're pretty big! I fit a C/D cup bra depending on the make. I was also an A cup to begin with, am the same height as you and weigh nearly the same at 58kgs. I also had the same issue with my breast width so had to get high profile to fit more cc's or volume. I initially had my heart set on moderate profile and was really worried highs would look fake. But I think mine turned out quite natural I think you will be fine with 330 everyone is different - I had a friend get 270cc and she is now a full D from an A! I trusted Dr Harwood with my sizing (I could have gone up to 345cc he said) and they are perfect. Happy to help out with any other questions B2B x

After commenting on this thread last night I emailed Dr Harwood who called me immediately. He addressed all of my concerns and in a nutshell said there is no need for alarm as:
- the issue is to do with surface particles, all implants are sterilised prior to insertion anyway so the implants are cleansed of any potential contaminants
- the concerns apply only to implants manufactured post March 2014 (mine were a previous batch)
- if there were surface contaminants on the implants, there would have been symptoms soon after surgery (infection etc)
- the investigating body is not even sure at this stage whether the contaminants affect breast implants as the particular factory under investigation also manufactures other Silimed products
- the implants have not been recalled, it is a temporary suspension while investigations are underway
- the concerns are not related to the quality of the implants or the materials used, it's purely a surface contamination concern
Furthrt to my conversation with Dr Harwood, I found this article http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-25/tga-advise-surgeons-risk-from-silimed-implants-extremely-low/6805802 stating that the contaminants were found to be silica and cotton fibres and that any risk to patients is extremely low.

Following this thread! I haven't logged into the forum for an eternity but saw a news story on the Silimed Braz tonight. Very keen to know more about the situation as I got these implants back in 2011. I am now breastfeeding my 6mo son and I am concerned there may be a risk to him

I say go for it!! I'm 26 with a long term partner & we will probably look at having kids in 4 years. I'm only 6 weeks post op & soo happy with my decision. I had the money & I wanted boobs while I'm still young with a no-kids body.. Plus I have lots to look forward to that I want boobs for such as wedding, honeymoon etc. The way I see it, I would need a lift & implants following pregnancy anyway (going by my mum's saggy boobs!!) so why not do it now, enjoy being childless with amazing boobs and then get a lift/revision in 6-7 years time when I'm done having kids. After deciding to get a BA there's no way I could wait 6-7 years after kids! You only live once so do it now, get top private health insurance, be money smart (save for future surgery) & enjoy!!!!! And as others said life doesn't always go according to plan, you could end up having kids a little later on

I had mine done 4 years ago knowing I'd want children, and to breastfeed in a few years. I had my first baby in February, he is now 7 months old and exclusively breastfed. I'm happy to send you some pics of before and of them now after pregnancy and 7 months of breastfeeding if you're interested? These are the changes I've noticed:
- they grew SO big during pregnancy and are still pretty huge. Pre baby my breasts were a nice full C to small D. They're now DD to E with one breast being significantly larger as it's the one bub feeds from mostly so makes more milk.
- they are covered in stretch marks because of how rapidly they grew when my milk came in. Some women don't experience this issue, depends on your skin. I hope they'll fade in time.
- they actually look even more natural now.
Despite all the changes I'm still happy I got them done pre baby, although I probably would've gone smaller implants if I'd have known I'd be breastfeeding for so long (before having a baby I thought I wouldn't breastfeed but did a complete 180 when bub arrived). I got 3.5 years of enjoyment from them I just hope they go down back to their pre baby size once I'm done feeding. If not I'll save for a revision to decrease size. Due to medical reasons there may not be any more babies in our future, and if there is, there will only be one more.
I say go for it now! So long as you're willing to accept any potential changes x

I had mine done 4 years ago knowing I'd want children, and to breastfeed in a few years. I had my first baby in February, he is now 7 months old and exclusively breastfed. I'm happy to send you some pics of before and of them now after pregnancy and 7 months of breastfeeding if you're interested? These are the changes I've noticed:
- they grew SO big during pregnancy and are still pretty huge. Pre baby my breasts were a nice full C to small D. They're now DD to E with one breast being significantly larger as it's the one bub feeds from mostly so makes more milk.
- they are covered in stretch marks because of how rapidly they grew when my milk came in. Some women don't experience this issue, depends on your skin. I hope they'll fade in time.
- they actually look even more natural now.
Despite all the changes I'm still happy I got them done pre baby, although I probably would've gone smaller implants if I'd have known I'd be breastfeeding for so long (before having a baby I thought I wouldn't breastfeed but did a complete 180 when bub arrived). I got 3.5 years of enjoyment from them I just hope they go down back to their pre baby size once I'm done feeding. If not I'll save for a revision to decrease size. Due to medical reasons there may not be any more babies in our future, and if there is, there will only be one more.
I say go for it now! So long as you're willing to accept any potential changes x

I had mine done 4 years ago knowing I'd want children, and to breastfeed in a few years. I had my first baby in February, he is now 7 months old and exclusively breastfed. I'm happy to send you some pics of before and of them now after pregnancy and 7 months of breastfeeding if you're interested? These are the changes I've noticed:
- they grew SO big during pregnancy and are still pretty huge. Pre baby my breasts were a nice full C to small D. They're now DD to E with one breast being significantly larger as it's the one bub feeds from mostly so makes more milk.
- they are covered in stretch marks because of how rapidly they grew when my milk came in. Some women don't experience this issue, depends on your skin. I hope they'll fade in time.
- they actually look even more natural now.
Despite all the changes I'm still happy I got them done pre baby, although I probably would've gone smaller implants if I'd have known I'd be breastfeeding for so long (before having a baby I thought I wouldn't breastfeed but did a complete 180 when bub arrived). I got 3.5 years of enjoyment from them I just hope they go down back to their pre baby size once I'm done feeding. If not I'll save for a revision to decrease size. Due to medical reasons there may not be any more babies in our future, and if there is, there will only be one more.
I say go for it now! So long as you're willing to accept any potential changes x

I had mine done 4 years ago knowing I'd want children, and to breastfeed in a few years. I had my first baby in February, he is now 7 months old and exclusively breastfed. I'm happy to send you some pics of before and of them now after pregnancy and 7 months of breastfeeding if you're interested? These are the changes I've noticed:
- they grew SO big during pregnancy and are still pretty huge. Pre baby my breasts were a nice full C to small D. They're now DD to E with one breast being significantly larger as it's the one bub feeds from mostly so makes more milk.
- they are covered in stretch marks because of how rapidly they grew when my milk came in. Some women don't experience this issue, depends on your skin. I hope they'll fade in time.
- they actually look even more natural now.
Despite all the changes I'm still happy I got them done pre baby, although I probably would've gone smaller implants if I'd have known I'd be breastfeeding for so long (before having a baby I thought I wouldn't breastfeed but did a complete 180 when bub arrived). I got 3.5 years of enjoyment from them I just hope they go down back to their pre baby size once I'm done feeding. If not I'll save for a revision to decrease size. Due to medical reasons there may not be any more babies in our future, and if there is, there will only be one more.
I say go for it now! So long as you're willing to accept any potential changes x

After commenting on this thread last night I emailed Dr Harwood who called me immediately. He addressed all of my concerns and in a nutshell said there is no need for alarm as:
- the issue is to do with surface particles, all implants are sterilised prior to insertion anyway so the implants are cleansed of any potential contaminants
- the concerns apply only to implants manufactured post March 2014 (mine were a previous batch)
- if there were surface contaminants on the implants, there would have been symptoms soon after surgery (infection etc)
- the investigating body is not even sure at this stage whether the contaminants affect breast implants as the particular factory under investigation also manufactures other Silimed products
- the implants have not been recalled, it is a temporary suspension while investigations are underway
- the concerns are not related to the quality of the implants or the materials used, it's purely a surface contamination concern
Furthrt to my conversation with Dr Harwood, I found this article http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-25/tga-advise-surgeons-risk-from-silimed-implants-extremely-low/6805802 stating that the contaminants were found to be silica and cotton fibres and that any risk to patients is extremely low.

After commenting on this thread last night I emailed Dr Harwood who called me immediately. He addressed all of my concerns and in a nutshell said there is no need for alarm as:
- the issue is to do with surface particles, all implants are sterilised prior to insertion anyway so the implants are cleansed of any potential contaminants
- the concerns apply only to implants manufactured post March 2014 (mine were a previous batch)
- if there were surface contaminants on the implants, there would have been symptoms soon after surgery (infection etc)
- the investigating body is not even sure at this stage whether the contaminants affect breast implants as the particular factory under investigation also manufactures other Silimed products
- the implants have not been recalled, it is a temporary suspension while investigations are underway
- the concerns are not related to the quality of the implants or the materials used, it's purely a surface contamination concern
Furthrt to my conversation with Dr Harwood, I found this article http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-25/tga-advise-surgeons-risk-from-silimed-implants-extremely-low/6805802 stating that the contaminants were found to be silica and cotton fibres and that any risk to patients is extremely low.

After commenting on this thread last night I emailed Dr Harwood who called me immediately. He addressed all of my concerns and in a nutshell said there is no need for alarm as:
- the issue is to do with surface particles, all implants are sterilised prior to insertion anyway so the implants are cleansed of any potential contaminants
- the concerns apply only to implants manufactured post March 2014 (mine were a previous batch)
- if there were surface contaminants on the implants, there would have been symptoms soon after surgery (infection etc)
- the investigating body is not even sure at this stage whether the contaminants affect breast implants as the particular factory under investigation also manufactures other Silimed products
- the implants have not been recalled, it is a temporary suspension while investigations are underway
- the concerns are not related to the quality of the implants or the materials used, it's purely a surface contamination concern
Furthrt to my conversation with Dr Harwood, I found this article http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-25/tga-advise-surgeons-risk-from-silimed-implants-extremely-low/6805802 stating that the contaminants were found to be silica and cotton fibres and that any risk to patients is extremely low.

After commenting on this thread last night I emailed Dr Harwood who called me immediately. He addressed all of my concerns and in a nutshell said there is no need for alarm as:
- the issue is to do with surface particles, all implants are sterilised prior to insertion anyway so the implants are cleansed of any potential contaminants
- the concerns apply only to implants manufactured post March 2014 (mine were a previous batch)
- if there were surface contaminants on the implants, there would have been symptoms soon after surgery (infection etc)
- the investigating body is not even sure at this stage whether the contaminants affect breast implants as the particular factory under investigation also manufactures other Silimed products
- the implants have not been recalled, it is a temporary suspension while investigations are underway
- the concerns are not related to the quality of the implants or the materials used, it's purely a surface contamination concern
Furthrt to my conversation with Dr Harwood, I found this article http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-25/tga-advise-surgeons-risk-from-silimed-implants-extremely-low/6805802 stating that the contaminants were found to be silica and cotton fibres and that any risk to patients is extremely low.

After commenting on this thread last night I emailed Dr Harwood who called me immediately. He addressed all of my concerns and in a nutshell said there is no need for alarm as:
- the issue is to do with surface particles, all implants are sterilised prior to insertion anyway so the implants are cleansed of any potential contaminants
- the concerns apply only to implants manufactured post March 2014 (mine were a previous batch)
- if there were surface contaminants on the implants, there would have been symptoms soon after surgery (infection etc)
- the investigating body is not even sure at this stage whether the contaminants affect breast implants as the particular factory under investigation also manufactures other Silimed products
- the implants have not been recalled, it is a temporary suspension while investigations are underway
- the concerns are not related to the quality of the implants or the materials used, it's purely a surface contamination concern
Furthrt to my conversation with Dr Harwood, I found this article http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-25/tga-advise-surgeons-risk-from-silimed-implants-extremely-low/6805802 stating that the contaminants were found to be silica and cotton fibres and that any risk to patients is extremely low.

After commenting on this thread last night I emailed Dr Harwood who called me immediately. He addressed all of my concerns and in a nutshell said there is no need for alarm as:
- the issue is to do with surface particles, all implants are sterilised prior to insertion anyway so the implants are cleansed of any potential contaminants
- the concerns apply only to implants manufactured post March 2014 (mine were a previous batch)
- if there were surface contaminants on the implants, there would have been symptoms soon after surgery (infection etc)
- the investigating body is not even sure at this stage whether the contaminants affect breast implants as the particular factory under investigation also manufactures other Silimed products
- the implants have not been recalled, it is a temporary suspension while investigations are underway
- the concerns are not related to the quality of the implants or the materials used, it's purely a surface contamination concern
Furthrt to my conversation with Dr Harwood, I found this article http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-25/tga-advise-surgeons-risk-from-silimed-implants-extremely-low/6805802 stating that the contaminants were found to be silica and cotton fibres and that any risk to patients is extremely low.

Hi RachelH, that's an interesting question. I didn't ask my surgeon (Dr Kim Harwood) about costs if I needed to fix capsular contracture into the future... I only asked about costs if something were to go wrong with the surgery or the implants as I direct result of him, to which he said he would fix, or pay for someone else to fix, for free. I did however ask about the chances of capsular contracture and apparently because I got Brazilian implans and went under the muscle, the chances are far less. I wonder if this is something a health fund might cover?? Hopefully someone else on the forum will have a better answer for you