- May 14, 2021
- Steve Heisler
- Podcast Episodes
The life of breast implants varies by person and cannot be predicted. That means everyone with breast implants may need additional surgeries, but no one can predict when. Patients can also request additional surgeries to modify the aesthetic outcome, such as size or shape. Tune in as Maria Gmitro explains the breast implants and safety measures of it.
Meet Maria Gmitro
Maria Gmitro holds a Master’s Degree in Instructional/Educational Technology from the University of Central Florida and is the Director of Community Outreach & Patient Advocacy for TrackMy Solutions, a medical device tracking/patient alerting company. Maria experienced illness from newly FDA approved breast implants and regained health upon removal. After healing, she decided to take action by supporting other women suffering from breast implant illness and BIA-ALCL through various support groups. She testified in front of the FDA at the most recent hearing on the safety of breast implants in March 2019.
Maria is President and co-founder of Breast Implant Safety Alliance (BISA Nonprofit). In September of 2019, she and her BISA organization were the first patient advocacy group given a booth at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons “Plastic Surgery The Meeting.” Through her experience, she learned of the greater issues with medical devices and advocates in DC for medical device safety. She serves as a breast implant representative for Medical Device Problems Advocacy of ASHES Nonprofit. She also serves as a breast implant patient representative for the National Center for Health Research’s Breast Implant Working Group, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Patient Group and the Breast Device Collaborative Community.
Maria currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her husband and two daughters. She hopes to raise public awareness because individuals need accurate information to make informed health decisions.
Resources:
Website: https://www.breastimplantsafetyalliance.org & https://trackmysolutions.us
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/breastimplantsafetyalliance/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bisanonprofit
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-gmitro/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trackmymaria/
BISA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bisanonprofit/