111: Breast Explant Tips with Dr. Robert Whitfield

Dr. Robert Whitfield is a plastic surgeon specializing in breast explant surgery. He joins me today to talk about why one might need to explant and if so, how to prepare for the best outcome. He also discusses the testing he has performed on explants and his findings.
Symptoms that could indicate breast implant illness

Fatigue or brain fog

Cognitive decline

Hair loss

Anxiety and/or depression

Joint or muscle pain

Menstrual cycle problems

Recurrent BV (Bacterial Vaginosis)

Guest Bio:
Dr. Robert Whitfield is an experienced, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. He completed six years of surgical training at Indiana University Medical Center. He remained at the Indiana University Medical Center to complete his Plastic Surgery Residency and at the completion, he chose to gain additional training in Microsurgery and Aesthetic Surgery by completing a one-year Fellowship in Las Vegas, Nevada under Dr. William Zamboni. 
He is an Active Member American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and the American Medical Association. 
Dr. Whitfield focuses on providing clients with nutritional guidance, nutraceutical advice, personal genetic predisposition screening, and non-invasive, minimally invasive, and surgical options for treatments all over the body. 
He has completed over 4000 breast procedures since 2004 including over 500 implant removals. 
In This Episode:

A problem associated with textured implants. (12:30)

Why fat transfer is a better option than an implant for reconstruction after a mastectomy. (15:00)

Breast implant illness causes a lot of inflammation. (16:10)

How to know if you need to have your breast implants removed. (17:47)

The necessary tests to ascertain whether someone has breast implant illness. (19:20)

What breast implant illness is. (20:03)

Why patients may suffer from breast implant illness. (20:14)

What an en-bloc capsulectomy is, and why it’s crucial to have it done by a surgeon who specializes in explants. (25:39)

How a patient can know if they have had silicon toxicity. (37:37)

Whether or not silicone can leach into patients’ bodies over time and cause silicone toxicity. (40:02)

The difference between silicone and saline implants. (41:16)

What a functional medicine approach to pre-op planning for an explant includes. (44:20)

How patients can be helped through the change after having their implants removed. (49:41)

 
Links and resources:
Breast Implant Illness Expert website 
Documentary: Explant (On Paramount Plus)
Book: The Naked Truth About Breast Implants by Susan Kolb
Follow Dr. Robert Whitfield on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Holistic and Scientific Plastic Surgery Podcast 
 
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Podcast Production by Team Podcast
Related episodes:
Episode 17: Breast Implant Illness with Sarah Phillipe