Dr. Rankin Featured on “The Doctors” To Discuss Breast Explant on Playboy Playmate
Posted on May 29, 2017
Last year, Playboy playmate Crystal Hefner made headlines for removing her breast implants after she said they made her sick. Now, Karen McDougal, another former Playboy playmate, is coming forward to share her story. McDougal says she began to constantly feel sick and experience severe allergies and thyroid problems seven years after she first underwent breast augmentation surgery.
“I would get sick every couple of months and be sick for six to eight weeks at a time,” McDougal tells People. “It just never went away.”
McDougal and Hefner are not the only women to report experiencing symptoms of a condition some refer to as “breast implant illness” (BII). Symptoms include fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, muscle pain and weakness. A number of plastic surgeons, including Dr. David Rankin of Aqua Plastic Surgery, believe these symptoms may be a result of an inflammatory reaction triggered by a foreign body, which in this case would be the breast implants.
Dr. Rankin removed McDougal’s breast implants, in a procedure called breast explant. The renowned surgeon recently made an appearance on the daytime show The Doctors to discuss breast implant illness and the explant procedure he performed on McDougal.
“I had them removed six weeks ago,” McDougal said on The Doctors. “Honestly, the day after surgery my blurry vision went away, my heart palpitations went away, and my hearing sensitivity went away.” Although the Playboy playmate says that the majority of her symptoms have subsided, she did acknowledge that she had a long road to recovery ahead. Nevertheless, McDougal was grateful she had the procedure done.
“Do I regret removing [my breast implants]? No.” McDougal tells People. “Do I miss having larger breasts? Yes, of course I do. But my health is so much more important than breasts.”
About Breast Explant
Breast augmentation is safe and has a high patient satisfaction rate. However, if you choose to have your implants removed, whether it’s for cosmetic or medical reasons, there are options available. The goal of breast explant is to remove the breast implant and capsule while preserving a natural-looking breast appearance. Many women who report symptoms of breast implant illness choose to remove their implants without replacing them. Others choose to undergo a breast lift to remove excess skin and achieve perkier breasts.
Dr. Rankin, along with Dr. Dev Vibhakar, have performed hundreds of breast explant procedures. The two surgeons work closely with Aqua Plastic Surgery’s Explant Concierge, Jeff Rose, to ensure patients with breast implant illness have a successful procedure and recovery.
If you would like to learn more about breast explant, please call our Jupiter office at (561) 776-2830 or our Ft. Lauderdale office at (954) 564-3832.
