Sheffield woman believes heart attack was linked to breast implants removal

The 62-year-old from Mosborough, who asked to be known simply as Tina, now accuses the NHS of 'negligence' for not giving her the treatment she deserves following her ordeal that started almost two years ago.

She said it all began when she decided to have the breast implants taken out for health reasons – after watching a TV programme cautioning people of the side effects of breast augmentation.

Tina, who had breast implants since she was 25 and had them replaced over time, said: "I knew breast implants needed changing every 10 years, but after watching the TV programme, I didn't want them anymore. I wanted them out.

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"They said if you have breast implants, symptoms might start to show between four and six years."

She said she had the second set of breast implants in 2003 and admitted that they should have been removed a long time ago, before she felt something amiss with her chest.

She also claimed that a tube was found during the removal surgery.

She added: "I felt a big lump above my breast and I was told to get the implants out. And ever since they were removed, I came home, it was hurting, it felt like my chest was ripping out.

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"I've been suffering, and puking all the time and I lost a lot of weight. If I moved about, I'd still puke and now I have to double my medication intake."

Tina, who is already diabetic and on insulin, said she now has chronic asthma, bronchitis and rippled bones, to name a few conditions, due to steroid medication she has been taking over the years.

And now that a heart attack has joined the long list of illnesses, she said the NHS has not been helpful despite complaints.

"They only took some blood from me last year before Christmas but this has been going on for two years,” she said.

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"I have been on sickness tablets. This is pure negligence, it's disgusting. This should've been sorted two years ago but they have not sorted me out. They dragged it on and dragged on.

"I am still in this pain and I’ve been throwing up a lot and I can no longer walk long distances. Otherwise, I’d fall. I’d need my walking stick with me.

"I shouldn't have done it, as I realise what it's done to me now. I regret it now,” she added.

She said she has booked an appointment with a cardiac doctor at the Northern General Hospital on July 28 to get further medical assistance.

She said she previously requested to have her breasts rebuilt by using some fat from her backside, but this was turned down by the hospital as it would be a risky procedure given that she is diabetic.

"If given a choice, I’d like that. I really would. But the NHS said I couldn’t do it because I am diabetic. It would be too risky for me – that’s why I had the breast implants in.”

In response, Dr David Hughes, medical director at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said Tina has had a number of appointments since her surgery in July 2019 and has been seen by several clinical specialists, who have explained her clinical condition in detail.

He said: “She has also had extensive diagnostics, including a mammogram and ultrasound in the past 12 months. She attended A&E in April 2020. After triage, a series of tests and seeing a doctor the decision was taken to admit her for further investigations but she chose to leave before being admitted.

"She was given a follow-up appointment to determine if she required any further treatment or care. She has further treatment planned to take place. We are very sorry that she has felt cause to complain and we will provide a full response to her questions and offer her another opportunity to discuss any aspects of her care which she still has concerns about.

"We will also confirm again that a tube was not found in her breast during implant removal surgery. The shape on the scans was part of the rupture she had experienced and was removed successfully during surgery.”