>> ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR
COSMETIC PROCEDURES BUT TONIGHT
A LOCAL PLASTIC SURGEON HAS A
WARNING ABOUT BREAST IMPLANTS
SHE WANTS WOMEN TO HEAR.
>> COVID HAS OF COURSE DOMINATED
THE HEALTH AND MEDICAL NEWS OVER
THE LAST TWO YEARS.
>> LAST FALL MARKED A MAJOR
MILESTONE FOR AN ARMY OF WOMEN
WHO HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR FOR
ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF
BREAST IMPLANT ILLNESS.
A LOCAL DOCTOR IS IN THE FIGHT
PUTTING PRINCIPLE AHEAD OF
PROFIT THE.
>> A POLICY ON BREAST IMPLANTS
THAT MANY WOMEN HAVE BEEN
DEMANDING.
WOMEN WANTING IMPLANTS NOW HAVE
TO BE WARNED ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITY OF PROBLEMS THAT
MIGHT COME AFTER THE IMPLANTS
ARE IN.
THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY HAS
STRUGGLED TO RECORD BII AS IT’S
KNOWN AND SOME DOCTORS STILL SAY
IT ISN’T A REAL CONDITION AND ONE PLASTIC SURGEON IS GOING
ONE PLASTIC SURGEON IS GOING
BEYOND THE WARNING.
>> GENERALLY 99% OF WOMEN SAY IT
MET OR EXCEEDED THEIR
EXPECTATIONS BUT NOT ALWAYS.
>> NOBODY COULD DIAGNOSE ME.
EVERYTHING’S IN YOUR HEAD
BECAUSE YOUR LABS ARE ALL
NEGATIVE.
AT LEAST MINE WERE.
>> TWO YEARS AGO I SAT DOWN WITH
A GROUP OF WOMEN WITH TRACY
GARY.
THEY HAD ALL BEEN THROUGH SEVERE
HEALTH CRISIS THAT COMPUTER BE
EXPLAINED.
HAIR LOSS, FATIGUE, MUSCLE
ACHES, BRAIN FOG WHICH LED TO
DEPRESSION WHICH COULD LEAD
TO --
>> DO YOU THINK YOU EVER GOT
SUICIDAL?
>> OH, YEAH.
I WOULD TEXT HIM, I FEEL LIKE
GOING INTO THE LAKE AND
DROWNING.
>> THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY
INSISTED BREAST IMPLANT ILLNESS
WAS NOT A THING.
>> I HAD SUICIDAL DEPRESSION SO
BAD, THAT IS ALL GONE.
>> Reporter: THEY TOLD ME WHEN
THE IMPLANTS CAME OUT, THEY GOT
THEIR LIVES BACK.
IT WAS SIX OR SEVEN YEARS AGO A
WOMAN CAME TO DR. AMY DEROSA
WITH THE SAME SET OF VERY
INTENSE SYSTEMS.
SHE WASN’T SURE THERE WAS A
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SYMPTOMS
AND IMPACTS EITHER UNTIL SHE
TOOK THEM OUT.
>> THE FIRST PATIENT WE TOOK HER
TO SURGERY AND DID THE PROCEDURE
INCLUDING REMOVING THE CAPSULES,
OF COURSE, AND HER SYMPTOMS
STARTED GOING AWAY RIGHT BEFORE
MY EYES AS I WAS SEEING HER IN
THE POST-OP PERIOD.
>> Reporter: AND IT KEPT
HAPPENING.
SHE DEVELOPED A REPUTATION.
SURE, ANY DOCTOR CAN REMOVE
BREAST IMPLANTS BUT DEROSA WAS
AMONG THOSE WHO INSISTED ON A
IMPLICATED PROCEDURE NOT JUST TO
REMOVE THE IMPLANT BUT THE
CAPSULE THAT DEVELOPS AROUND IT.
>> A LOT OF PATIENTS PRESENT TO
THE OFFICE AND SHE HAVE THIS
GUILT, I MADE A BAD DECISION,
WHAT WAS I THINKING, WHY DID I
DO THIS TO MYSELF, AND I WOULD
SAY TO THEM, I DID IT AS WELL.
>> Reporter: YES, SHE TOO HAD
IMPLANTEDS, AND SLOWLY
DR. DEROSA FELT THE SYMPTOMS HER
PATIENTS WERE DESCRIBING WERE
HITTING CLOSER TO HOME.
>> I STARTED RELATING MORE AND
MORE TO THEM AS FAR AS SOME
OTHER TOPS WOULD GO, AND IT WAS
THIS COMMON RELATING TO THEM
THAT MADE ME REALIZE THAT, YOU
KNOW, I FEEL LIKE I POTENTIALLY
MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING THEM, AS
WELL.
>> Reporter: SHE TOO HAD HER
IMPLANTS REMOVED, AND SHE TOO
GOT HER LIFE BACK.
>> ALL OF THIS LED TO YOU A
RATHER EXTRAORDINARY DECISION
ABOUT YOUR OWN PRACTICE, THEN.
>> IT DID.
IT DID.
ABSOLUTELY.
SO I DECIDED ETHICALLY AFTER
TREATING SO MANY OF THESE
PATIENTS AND SEEING THE OUTCOMES
AND IMPROVEMENT THAT I DIDN’T
FEEL COMFORTABLE IN DOING
COSMETIC ARGUMENTATIONS.
>> Reporter: UNDERSTAND BREAST
IMPLANTS ARE A VERY POPULAR AND
MUST BE SAID VERY PROFITABLE
PROCEDURE.
BUT SHE SAYS IT WAS TOO
ETHICALLY INCHON GREWENS TO
REMOVE IMPLANTS IN ONE OPERATING
ROOM ONLY TO WALK INTO ANOTHER
AND PUT A SET IN.
BUT DON’T WORRY, SHE SAYS THE
REWARDS ARE MANY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU’VE
GIVEN ME MY LIFE BACK.
I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES
I’VE HEARD IT, AND IT’S THE MOST
WONDERFUL THING TO HEAR.
I GET LOTS OF HUGS AND IT’S ALL
FUN AT THE VERY END.
SO --
>> NOW, THIS ALL REMAINS
EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL, JUST
SINCE THE PROMOS STARTED AIRING
FOR THIS STORY.
I’VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL PLASTIC
SURGEONS WHO ARE STILL VERY
SKEPTICAL OF THE EXISTENCE OF
BREAST IMPLANT ILLNESS.
AND ANOTHER RECENT STUDY SHOWING
NORY DIFFERENCE IN THE KIND OF
IMPLANT REMOVAL, SO EVEN AT THAT
LEVEL, THIS IS GONNA CONTINUE TO
BE A CONTENTIOUS AND HEATED
FIGHT, EVEN WITH THE F.D.A.’S
NEW WARNINGS IN PLACE.
>> ALL RIGHT BE DEVIN, YOU’VE
COVERED THIS ISSUE EXTENSIVE
LOOK HE AND TALKED TO WOMEN WHO
WANT TO SEE BREAST IMPLANTS DONE
AWAY WITH COMPLETELY.
IS THAT DR. DEROSA’S POSITION?
>> IT DOES NOT.
SHE DOESN’T WANT TO GO THAT FAR.
AND THAT’S WHY SHE AND A NUMBER
OF COLLEAGUES OF HERS ARE
FOCUSED ON CREATING A KIND OF
TEST, A SCREENING TEST, THAT
MIGHT HELP INDICATE WHICH WOMEN
ARE MORE LIKELY TO SUFFER FROM
PROBLEMS FROM IMPLANTS THAN
OTHERS.
BUT, NO, THAT DOESN’T EXIST YET.
>> NEVER SEEN A DOCTOR REALLY