I'm considering getting breast implants and I'm trying to be as informed as possible about any risks of the procedure. It's difficult to get objective information about "breast implant illness" since it's not currently a medical diagnosis but a constellation of symptoms women are reporting. I did join the facebook group for breast implant illness. I'm shocked how many members it has (120k+) and how horrible the stories are. Some doctors will not implant anymore. Are BI a ticking time bomb?
October 18, 2023
Answer: Breast Implant Illness Hi, thanks for your question. It is completely natural to have questions and concerns about any surgical procedure, and it's really important that you are doing all the research that you can about breast implants and breast augmentation. With regards to breast implant illness (BII), you're right, it is not a recognized medical condition, and there are good reasons for this. Recently, a very small percentage of breast augmentation patients have been complaining about being affected by a broad range of symptoms such as fatigue, hair loss, brain fog, depression, anxiety etc. I stress a small number of patients because this condition affects less than 1% of women who undergo breast augmentation surgery. These symptoms are being attributed to breast implants, but there is as of yet no medical evidence that correlates these symptoms with breast implants. As surgeons, we recognize that the symptoms that these patients are experiencing are very real, but because symptoms vary from patient to patient it is very difficult to identify their root cause. Furthermore, there is no evidence that shows that removing the implants makes the patient better, in fact, in many cases it has not. So while we believe this condition exists and we take it very seriously, we are unable to definitively prove that breast implants are the cause. We are working to get to the bottom of this. I have been appointed to a task force by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to investigate BII. That said, the majority of patients that get breast implants do not suffer from BII and are extremely happy with their result. If you are thinking of getting breast augmentation surgery, I highly recommend that you book an in person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon in order to discuss these and any other concerns you might have about this procedure, and to assess whether this is the right procedure for you and what you are looking to achieve. Breast augmentation is a wonderful surgery with amazing results but you need to feel 100% comfortable with your decision to go through with it.
Helpful 2 people found this helpful
October 18, 2023
Answer: Breast Implant Illness Hi, thanks for your question. It is completely natural to have questions and concerns about any surgical procedure, and it's really important that you are doing all the research that you can about breast implants and breast augmentation. With regards to breast implant illness (BII), you're right, it is not a recognized medical condition, and there are good reasons for this. Recently, a very small percentage of breast augmentation patients have been complaining about being affected by a broad range of symptoms such as fatigue, hair loss, brain fog, depression, anxiety etc. I stress a small number of patients because this condition affects less than 1% of women who undergo breast augmentation surgery. These symptoms are being attributed to breast implants, but there is as of yet no medical evidence that correlates these symptoms with breast implants. As surgeons, we recognize that the symptoms that these patients are experiencing are very real, but because symptoms vary from patient to patient it is very difficult to identify their root cause. Furthermore, there is no evidence that shows that removing the implants makes the patient better, in fact, in many cases it has not. So while we believe this condition exists and we take it very seriously, we are unable to definitively prove that breast implants are the cause. We are working to get to the bottom of this. I have been appointed to a task force by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to investigate BII. That said, the majority of patients that get breast implants do not suffer from BII and are extremely happy with their result. If you are thinking of getting breast augmentation surgery, I highly recommend that you book an in person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon in order to discuss these and any other concerns you might have about this procedure, and to assess whether this is the right procedure for you and what you are looking to achieve. Breast augmentation is a wonderful surgery with amazing results but you need to feel 100% comfortable with your decision to go through with it.
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September 27, 2020
Answer: Breast implant illness How common this is depends on whether you choose to believe it exists at all. Many plastic surgeons deny its existence and say that study after study has disproved it. But those studies were done by plastic surgeons and implant manufacturers, who are not exactly unbiased. I have seen enough women who feel they have the illness and claim they got better after implants are placed. If you are worried about it there are two things you can do. Either not have implants or opt for saline.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
September 27, 2020
Answer: Breast implant illness How common this is depends on whether you choose to believe it exists at all. Many plastic surgeons deny its existence and say that study after study has disproved it. But those studies were done by plastic surgeons and implant manufacturers, who are not exactly unbiased. I have seen enough women who feel they have the illness and claim they got better after implants are placed. If you are worried about it there are two things you can do. Either not have implants or opt for saline.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful