Episode 89: What Your Breast Implants May Be Hiding with Dr. Mithun Sinha

In this podcast episode, Dr. Robert Whitfield, a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in breast implant illness (BII), and Dr. Mithun Sinha, a PhD scientist, discuss the complexities of Breast Implant Illness. Dr. Whitfield shares his clinical experiences and emphasizes the importance of understanding the symptoms and experiences of women affected by Breast Implant Illness and Dr. Sinha provides scientific insights into the role of fatty acids, bacteria, and biofilm formation concerning breast implants, explaining how these factors contribute to symptoms like fatigue and brain fog. Be sure to tune in to hear more! Show Highlights: Role of Fatty Acids in Cell Structure (00:01:51) The importance of fatty acids in cellular stability and protection Interaction of Fatty Acids and Implants (00:03:20) Discussion on how fatty acids interact with breast implants and surrounding tissue Formation of 10 Home and Biofilms (00:05:20) Dr. Sinha describes how oleic acid transforms into 10 Home, linked to bacterial biofilms. Scar Capsule and Bacterial Colonization (00:06:40) Exploration of how the scar capsule provides a habitat for bacteria to form biofilms Importance of Research on BII (00:13:41) Lack of attention to women suffering from BII and the need for better care Introduction to Oxaliplatin Home Research (00:14:54) Dr. Sinha introduces his new paper on oxaliplatin home and its link to inflammation Oxidation and Its Effects on the Body (00:16:04) Dr. Sinha explains how oxidation increases during stress and exercise, affecting health Potential Biomarkers for BII Symptoms (00:17:38) Discussion on identifying biomarkers to predict and assess symptoms in BII patients Characterizing Bacterial Contamination (00:19:54) Dr. Whitfield discusses the need to characterize bacterial contamination in patients with implants. Read Dr. Mithun Sinha’s paper in The Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Oxylipins in Breast Implant–Associated Systemic Symptoms You may consider supporting Dr. Sinha's research through your kind donation using the link below. Trust us, every single dollar counts. Donate [HERE](https://give.myiu.org/iu-indianapolis/I380014948.html). Bio. Mithun Sinha, PhD Dr. Sinha is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine. His laboratory specializes in the field of bacterial biofilm research. The investigations are focused on implant-associated complications due to biofilms and wound healing complications. These include breast implant-associated systemic immunological manifestations, dental implant-associated peri-implantitis, and orthopedic implant-associated osteomalacia. Studies also include wound healing studies exploring host-biofilm-mediated metabolites. His laboratory explores the development of implant-based biomaterials for their anti-biofilm properties. Over the years, he has actively collaborated with surgeons and chemical and material science engineers. He has been continually funded by NIH and currently have two active grants from NIH as PI (R01 and R21). He has also served/serving on 4 NIH grants as Co-Investigator. He has published 45 articles in peer-reviewed journals, with a Google Scholar citation of 2600+ and an h-index of 20. Seven of his publications have been cited 100+ times. A recent study from his lab on breast implant-associated immunological complications published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (PMID: 38032740) has received editorial-type commentary from the peer community (PMID: 38299590). In addition to being a researcher, he has served as a reviewer for 15+ peer-reviewed journals. He also serves as Associate Editor for the journal RNA Biology and as an ad-hoc member of the NIH study section and Plastic Surgery Foundation (PSF) study panels. Connect with Dr. Whitfield: Podcast Spotify TikTok IG FB Linkedin X.com Read this article Shop Dr. Whitfield’s Solutions SHARP NVISN Labs Papers on Breast Implant Illness (BII) or Systemic Symptoms associated with Breast Implants (SSBI) Khan I, Minto RE, Kelley-Patteson C, Singh K, Timsina L, Suh LJ, Rinne E, Van Natta BW, Neumann CR, Mohan G, Lester M, VonDerHaar RJ, German R, Marino N, Hassanein AH, Gordillo GM, Kaplan MH, Sen CK, Kadin ME, Sinha M. Biofilm derived oxylipin 10-HOME mediated immune response in women with breast implants. Journal of Clinical Investigation 2023 Nov 30:e165644. doi: 10.1172/JCI165644. PMID: 38032740 Khan I, Timsina L, Chauhan R, Ingersol C, Wang DR, Rinne E, Muraru R, Mohan G, Minto RE, Van Natta BW, Hassanein AH, Kelley-Patteson C, Sinha M. Oxylipins in Breast Implant Associated Systemic Symptoms. Aesthetic Surgery Journal 2024Sep 16;44(10):NP695-NP710. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjae128. PMID: 38857184. Shah JK, Najafali D, Fung E, Rowley M, Thawanyarat K, Cevallos PC, Makarewicz N, Raman KS, Rahim N. Decreased Use of Anti-Inflammatory Medications in Autoimmune Connective Tissue Disease Patients Following Breast Implant Removal: A National Analysis. Eplasty 2024 Aug 15:24:e44. eCollection 2024. PMID: 39224416. Azahaf S, Spit KA,de Blok CJM, Nanayakkara PWB. Increased FGF-19 levels following explantation in women with breast implant illness. Scientific Reports 2025 Jan 29;15(1):3652. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-88013-4. PMID: 39880914. Miranda BH, Banwell PE, Sterne GD, Floyd DC. Breast implant illness: A United Kingdom patient-centred approach. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery 2024 Nov:98:201-210. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2024.07.066. Epub 2024 Jul 29. PMID: 39288722.

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