Woman Gets Implants Removed After 8 Years of Suffering Mystery Illnesses

A Colorado woman has had her breast implants removed, after eight years of battling mysterious illnesses.

Jessi Jean had the augmentation surgery in 2013, when she was just 23, paying $12,000 because she wanted to feel "more feminine." She opted for "smooth round silicone gel mentor implants⁣," which she admitted she couldn't afford, so put them on credit.

But over the years Jean, from Denver, began to get sick. Her symptoms included unexplained rashes and skin complaints, brain fog, memory and concentration problems, anxiety, joint and muscle pains, and headaches.

She has been vocal about her experiences online, sharing her symptoms and "explant" operation with followers on TikTok and Instagram.

In a series of posts about her 2013 procedure, Jean wrote last month: "While I'm not against plastic surgery or anyone who has had anything done, I'm disappointed my surgeon did not better inform me of the risks.⁣"

Jean also revealed that she had lost 90 per cent of her nipple sensation and is unsure whether she will be able to breastfeed.

She claimed that implants "are toxic and whether your body turns on them immediately after you get them or 8yrs later, it can happen.⁣" She often captions her social media posts with the hashtag #BII, for breast implant illness.

According to the website of non-profit Breastcancer.org, breast implant illness "is a term that some women and doctors use to refer to a wide range of symptoms that can develop after undergoing reconstruction or cosmetic augmentation with breast implants. It is also sometimes referred to as autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA). BII can occur with any type of breast implant."

Jean wrote on Instagram: "While there's currently no way to definitely say these symptoms are a result of breast implants, most people point to their implants after extensive testing rules everything else out."

Jean added that she had spent "thousands of dollars this year chasing symptoms that all seem to fall under breast implant illness."

In another post, she explained that she had originally decided to go up a few cup sizes after she had placed second in a bikini competition and was told her chest had held her back.

She hit out at "diet culture and the beauty industry" for placing unrealistic standards on women, making them feel as if they need surgery. She admitted she was "insecure" about her chest leading up to the bikini competition.

As a teenager, she had had amenorrhea, meaning she didn't menstruate. Jean wrote: "So my doctor put me on birth control when I was around 20 to induce it.⁣ As a result of the hormonal imbalances, my chest never fully developed.⁣

"I did not know this until 3 MONTHS AGO when my explant surgeon asked me to get a copy of the operative report from the surgeon who put my implants in! I mean, I knew my chest was smaller, asymmetrical and didn't look 'right' but I didn't know there was a diagnosis for it.⁣

⁣"Hypomastia with asymmetry and ptosis (essentially insufficient glandular tissue, different size breasts, and sagging on the slightly larger side).⁣ My initial surgeon never discussed this with me, which is frustrating because those with hypoplastic breast anomalies *may* have a 4x higher risk of breast cancer that can only be detected via a biopsy! (once I heal, I will be scheduling one!)⁣"
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Jean said her breasts "were still asymmetrical" after the augmentation in 2013, "just bigger and had a more normal shape to them."

She had explant surgery last month, flying to California and paying $18,000 for the operation with Dr Jae Chun, as well as a lift and muscle repair. She shared a poolside snap at the beginning of July, as she took "the girls" out for their "last hurrah."

After the surgery, Jean began to notice changes almost immediately, writing "my body is healing" as her rash began to disappear.

In a post documenting her recovery, she said: "Blurry vision has subsided, rash on my face looks better than it has in months, my eyes look clear, breathing feels unreal, so much easier."

She added: "It wasn't just about my skin! and I'm not 100% sure if removing my implants is going to fully heal my skin—I'm still undergoing a ton of testing with my naturopath to get to the bottom of all my health issues.⁣ Regardless I am still 100% confident that removing them will improve my health.⁣ And if I gain nothing else but the ability to breathe more deeply it's still such a victory!"

Jean said she could breathe like she hadn't been able to "in years," calling her explant surgery the "best decision I've ever made."

"I'm ready to feel free⁣. To heal⁣. To be able to breathe more deeply⁣. To no longer feel like a truck is sitting on my chest. Quite literally," she added.
⁣
A video montage Jean shared to TikTok, which can be seen here, has amassed more than 6.2 million views. It shows snaps of her skin, eyes and chest before and after surgery.

The footage struck a chord with viewers, with Emma Therese saying: "I cancelled 48 hours before mine because of these stories.

Danette Murphy wrote: "Implant sickness is so real and so many people don't talk about it."

A TikToker called Tara posted: "As a mammographer, I think nobody should get implants."

Crimeaholics wrote: "I've seen this more frequently. I want implants so bad but this scares me."

Wildly_wandering_ added: "Wow! The difference in your eyes! Eyes and skin are just the organs that we see, so it'd good indicator of what's going on inside too. Glad you listened to your body!"

Breast augmentation remains one of the most popular procedures in the U.S., with the surgery performed 193,073 times last year, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Explant surgery is also on the rise, however, with ASPS figures showing it was carried out 36,367 times in 2020, up from 33,642 the year before.

Newsweek has reached out to Jean for comment.