In the latest episode of the SHE MD podcast, SZA candidly defined why she had her breast implants eliminated. The 34-year-old “Snooze” singer shared that her mom was recognized with breast most cancers years in the past, and that her aunt had a mastectomy. Her physician informed her this household historical past considerably spiked her danger of creating the illness, which influenced her resolution to reverse the process.

SZA additionally stated that, when she first obtained the implants, she realized that she had “a lot” fibrosis, a thickening of connective tissue that may develop within the breasts, which her physician eliminated throughout the surgical procedure. She stated she finally had the implants eliminated as a result of she “didn’t really feel good, and it was painful,” explaining, “I obtained approach an excessive amount of scar tissue as a result of my breasts are too dense and I’m not purported to have breast implants. And I ended up getting further fibrosis.”

However what’s fibrosis, precisely, and the way does it relate to implants? And the way does breast most cancers danger play into all of this? We requested specialists to interrupt it down.

First, some background: Fibrosis isn’t restricted to only the boobs.

You may develop this thickened or scarred tissue in a lot of areas: It’s primarily the identical stuff that your ligaments (the tissues that maintain your bones collectively) and scars are manufactured from, so areas which have it would really feel agency or perhaps a bit rubbery, in response to the American Most cancers Society (ACS).

Fibrosis can develop as you heal after an damage, which incorporates main surgical procedure, or out of your immune system reacting to a overseas physique, like a breast implant. Actually, in most individuals with breast implants, the physique’s protecting cells react by forming a “fibrotic capsule” across the implants. In some people, the immune system responds strongly, and if the capsule will get thick sufficient, it could possibly turn into fairly painful.

“The physique tries to both do away with it or wall it off for its personal safety,” Richard J. Bleicher, MD, a breast most cancers specialist within the division of surgical oncology at Fox Chase Most cancers Heart in Philadelphia, tells SELF. “The method of doing this includes irritation, which is a rise within the exercise of the immune system.”

SZA didn’t share a selected prognosis, however the ache that she talked about might have alluded to a capsular contracture, which occurs when the capsule tightens and turns into actually arduous, Amy Bremner, MD, the medical director of breast surgical oncology at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Heart in Laguna Hills, California, tells SELF. “That may be painful and it could possibly result in sufferers wanting their implants eliminated or revised,” she explains.

Dr. Bleicher says most individuals aren’t often evaluated for fibrosis earlier than getting breast implants as a result of this tissue might be robust to identify with out specialised (learn: costly) imaging exams. Plus, it’s tremendous widespread: Greater than half of individuals with breasts will develop fibrosis, often between the ages of 30 and 50. “It’s routine for surgeons to come across this,” Dr. Bleicher says. “Even throughout the placement of implants, it could possibly often be [removed] simply by the surgeon on the time of the process.”

Is fibrosis associated to breast most cancers? What about implants?

At baseline, having fibrosis doesn’t improve your danger of creating breast most cancers, per the ACS. The only option to put it: Fibrosis is an indication that there’s irritation occurring within the physique—however it’s continual irritation, not the fibrosis itself, that might doubtlessly contribute to an surroundings that has been related to most cancers danger, Dr. Bleicher says.