30 year old saline implant

Hello to all,

I had a saline implant put in 30 yrs ago, in my right breast only. Prior to that, at the age of 15yrs, I had a silicone one put in because I was radiated as a newborn, my last treatment, I was left under radiation far too long & severely burned. Teen years I was competetive in swimming & my Doc. recommended the implant so I would not feel ashamed of my body in a Speedo suit. The silicone one ruptured due to a motor vehicle accident, it was removed in 1989 & replaced by a saline one.

Fast forward to today, my implant is painful with lumps & appears smaller in size. Mar.29/2019, U.S. & mammo revealed irregularularites but no determination what the lumps are.

My Family Doc. referred me to a Plastic Surgeon, she initially denied the referral & asked me to return to my orginal surgeon. My orig. P.S. has retired. So, now the new P.S has accepted my referral but my appt. isn't until October 7th, 2019. 6 months from now! I live in Canada & our system is often terrible. I was hoping to at least get my lumps checked. ANY suggestions would be appreciated.

Justjay

Are the lumps you are feeling new since the saline implant decreased in size? There may have been residual free silicone in your breast from the prior rupture that were not felt til now because of the saline implant over them. If the current implant is leaking and decreasing in size this might be allowing you to feel these lumps.

The report of your mammo and US should mention if nodules of silicone were seen. They are well recognized on mammo and US. The silicone may also be seen in the lymph nodes which is also commonly reported after a rupture.

When you get your mammogram and ultrasound reports, see what the BIRADs number is at the bottom of the report. This indicates the level of concern of the Radiologist, and each score is associated with an appropriate next step.

If your mammogram shows breast lumps that need to be investigated, your doctor should have referred you to a breast surgeon, not a plastic surgeon. That referral would happen much more quickly - I say that as someone in Canada who has seen more than my share of breast surgeons. Referrals to Plastic Surgeons as a rule aren't rushed through because most plastic surgery is cosmetic and optional. Medically required referrals however would be handled much more quickly. So it sounds as if the issue may be the way your doctor has handled this and how and to whom he has made the referral.

If you have a breast issue, based on the Radiologist's report, then you need to see a Breast Surgeon and it should be done relatively quickly. If you have an implant issue, based on the Radiologist's report, then a Plastic Surgeon is the right doctor to see and there is no real urgency.