Over the years, we have seen a rise in the number of women coming to PRMA requesting to have their breast implants removed due to variety of health-related complaints, whether the implants were placed for cosmetic enhancement or for breast reconstruction following breast cancer surgery.

What is Breast Implant Illness?

Patients have described experiencing a range of symptoms including but not limited to chronic fatigue, chest discomfort, headaches, chronic pain, hair loss, anxiety, unexplained body rashes, hormonal irregularities, and depression. Since so many women are experiencing such a wide range of symptoms that they believe to be directly related to their implants, this array of symptoms has been labeled online as ‘Breast Implant Illness’ (BII).

Breast Implant Illness is NOT currently recognized as a medical diagnosis. To date, numerous studies have failed to show an association between breast implants and the symptoms described by patients. However, more studies are currently underway to examine potential links further.

What Causes Breast Implant Illness?

Although researchers are still not sure of the potential cause of BII, there are some hypotheses. These include the body’s inflammatory or immune response to the placement of the breast implant, the body’s reaction to the silicone in the implant, and/or the body’s response to the way in which the breast implant was placed in the body.

What Can Patients Do if They Think They Have Breast Implant Illness?

For patients who believe their health concerns are directly related to their implants, we recommend following up with a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss their options, including possible removal of the implants.

In most cases, patients who link their symptoms to BII often report their symptoms resolve after having breast implant removal (explant surgery).

What are the Alternatives to Breast Implants?

For patients opting to remove their implants, there are other options available to help achieve desired aesthetic outcomes based on each patient’s needs.

For patients who had their implants placed cosmetically, fat grating can be performed to achieve a larger breast size without the use of implants.

For patients who had implants placed for breast reconstruction after breast cancer surgery, natural reconstructive options using your own tissue are available. These include from abdominal flaps (DIEP flap, SIEA flap), thigh flaps (TUG flap, VUG flap, PAP flap, LTP flap) and buttock flaps (iGAP flap, sGAP flap). Other procedures such as the Latissimus flap and fat grafting are also options to consider. Going flat is also an option for anyone not wishing to have further reconstruction.

What are other Reasons Patients Choose to Remove Their Implants?

Breast implants and their link to cancer have been making news headlines. According to the FDA, Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a rare and treatable cancer of the immune system (not a true breast cancer) associated with textured breast implants. Although the FDA does not recommend removing breast implants in patients who are not experiencing any complications or symptoms related to ALCL it is ultimately the patient’s choice.

Other complications associated with implants leading to removal are infection, capsular contracture (breast hardening), implant displacement, and implant rupture.

Ultimately, the decision to get breast implants (either for cosmetic enhancement or for breast reconstruction) is a personal choice. It is important to discuss all the potential risks with a board-certified plastic surgeon before undergoing any type of surgery to ensure you are making a fully-educated decision.

Author: Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo and Courtney Floyd