Could I have less chance of experiencing BII since my body has already done well with silicone?

Question

I’ve wanted breast implants for forever . Im finally done having babies and was ready to pull the trigger but now I’m seeing all this talk about BII and it’s scaring me. My question is: I had a silicone facial implant for 4 years (paranasal) and it never gave me any problems . I took it out only because I felt you could see the outline of the implant when I smiled. Does this mean I might have a less chance of experiencing BII since my body has already done well with silicone ?

Gerald Minniti, MD, FACS · Answer

You should be relieved to know that science has shown that SSBI is not caused by toxins or some other compound or agent that creates pathology in the human body. These studies have been published in the last few years. There is a lot of money promoting SSBI for many people, many of whom are in the 'detox' business, but also unfortunately, some unscrupulous plastic surgeons too. There are no differences in the blood or tissue levels of 20 heavy metals, silicone, bacteria, bacterial metabolites, or immune system interleukins when comparing symptomatic women with breast implants to asymptomatic women with breast implants or women seeking a breast lift who never had implants. This really doesn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows the long history of silicone based products that have been in wide circulation for over one hundred years. The only difference between women in these three groups are that symptomatic women were more likely to indicate they have anxiety disorder or health anxiety disorder, as well as their preference to get medical information from the internet. Finally, decades before breast implants, men were receiving silicone elastomer testicular implants. To date, millions of men have received them and there has never been a case of testicular implant illness. Go get your breast implants!

Donovan Rosas, MD · Answer

BII is a complicated topic.

There are many patients who complain of a myriad of symptoms which they attribute to their implants. The difficulty stems from the inability to quantify the symptoms or demonstrate a verifiable connection via laboratory study/blood work/imaging.

There have been countless studies which have failed to demonstrate a cause and effect connection. As such, many patients pursue removal as a solution do not experience relief of their symptoms.

Silicone is biologically inert and is used in countless other implantable medical devices.

With regards to your specific question, I would not worry about a reaction to silicone.

As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).

M. Scott Haydon, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Get your implants and enjoy the shape that you'll regain since having your babies!! Breast implant illness is still something we don't fully understand. Many studies have been done to try and find a correlation of symptoms with something in the bloodwork, capsule, etc. Biggest issue is that the symptoms of BII cannot be measured- malaise, fatigue, brain fog, etc. and be natural occuring as all of us get older (whether we have implants or not). Some women's symptoms do not improve when the implants are removed, while others do. The topic is discussed a lot, but in my 20+ years experience it is exceedingly rare and becoming even less common with our newest generation implants. Hope this helps. Best of Luck!

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

There is much that we are learning still about BII.  It is a collection of vague symptoms that are associated with breast implants including fatigue, brain fog,  and joint pain.  Some patients report improvement of their symptoms when the implants are removed.  There is a low percentage of patients that report BII symptoms, so your risk is very low.

Vishnu Rumalla, MD · Answer

Thanks for your inquiry, unfortunately I do not think any surgeon could give you a clear answer to your question. I am glad you did not have a reaction to facial implant, but that does assure you of future responses a breast implant--best of luck.

Could I have less chance of experiencing BII since my body has already done well with silicone?

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Could I have less chance of experiencing BII since my body has already done well with silicone?

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Everything you need to know about Breast Implants

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