Awareness of Breast Implant Illness (BII) has absolutely exploded on the internet. So much so that it is even reaching women before they make the decision to implant. This is a good thing! Facebook groups and websites by women who insist they have or had BII are popping up by the minute. Believe it’s real or not, one question you should definitely ask if you have found yourself reading this article before implanting is, do I have enough information to make informed consent? If you are among the masses who have regret, after the fact, I’ll assume that you may now feel that you didn’t have all the information necessary to make that decision.
WHAT IS INFORMED CONSENT?
Informed consent is one of the most important factors in any medical decision you’ll make in your life. This applies to everything when it comes to the relationship with your doctor and agreements you make regarding medical treatment, elective surgeries, taking prescription medications, following doctors orders, protocols, wellness plans, advice, etc. People have become so comfortable with the idea that their doctor knows what is best and would never steer them in the wrong direction, that they have given up understanding informed consent, let alone ever questioning if something is right for them, specifically.
It is not your doctor’s job to decide if something is right for you. It is, however, part of your doctor’s job to make sure you understand that medical decisions are your decisions. Consent documents protect the doctor from liability from your decision. It’s not an exaggeration to say that most people do not read these documents thoroughly, despite placing their signature and initials in multiple places. So, I guess you could say that most patients do give consent, but is it informed consent? I’d say no, but if your signature is on the document, that says yes.
If you haven’t read the documents you signed, you don’t know that you probably confirmed that your doctor went over all risks and possible side effects. For the purpose of this topic, we assume that your doctor thoroughly explained the pros and cons of breast implants. But how many women can you find in the BII groups who have explicitly stated that there was NO explanation of anything?
But they still signed the documents.
I cannot overstate the importance of reading every word of the informed consent documents. I would also encourage you to read the FDA’s own warnings: Risks and Complications of Breast Implants, Saline, Silicone-Gel and Alternative Breast Implants: Guidance For Industry and FDA, and FDA Breast Implant Complications, not to mention the lists of symptoms that can go on for days.
Those documents, of course, are not generally a part of informed consent.
For more information on Breast Implant Illness, read my article, What Is Breast Implant Illness?
