>> ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR >> 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.
