What Is the Treatment for Breast Implant Illness?
Breast implants can improve the size and appearance of your breasts. Many women are self-conscious about their busts and resort to getting implants to enhance their self-confidence and correct unevenness. However, it is essential to note that the makeover can come with different risks, such as breast implant illness. Read on to learn more and to find more about its treatment.
What Is Breast Implant Illness?
Breast implant illness or BII refers to the symptoms you can experience after getting breast implants. It is thought to be related to inflammatory or autoimmune responses. BII is not yet an official medical diagnosis, as most researchers are just gaining interest in it and starting to see more data.
Breast implant illness has other names, such as breast implant disease or silicone implant illness. BII affects individuals no matter the type of breast implants they get—you can get it whether you have silicone-filled or saline-filled implants. The symptoms can occur immediately after your surgery or after many years of going through the procedure.
Causes of Breast Implant Illness
Research has not yet discovered the exact cause of BII. However, some researchers suspect the following:
Reaction to the surgical procedure that aids with inserting the breast implants
Infection caused by bacteria growth on the implant surface
Inflammatory or autoimmune response to the breast implant
Symptoms of Breast Implant Illness
Most BII symptoms are related to connective tissue and autoimmune disorders such as lupus. The impacts of BII can affect individuals differently. If you have breast implants and are experiencing symptoms such as frequent urination, easing bruising, chronic fatigue, rashes/skin problems, and more, BII could be the cause. Call us if these symptoms sound familiar – we can help you get answers.
Diagnosis
There are currently no diagnostic criteria or tests specifically designed for breast implant illness. Most plastic surgeons say that patients with BII have many symptoms that alter how they function. Most do not realize that the root cause is their breast implants. Your doctor can ask about your symptoms to order tests to help rule out conditions such as Lyme disease or arthritis.
Treatment
Plastic surgeons treat breast implant illnesses differently. Most of them aim to alleviate the symptoms by removing the breast implants and the scar tissue capsules. They do not replace the removed breast implants with new ones.
Other surgeons recommend removing the capsule and implant in one piece in a procedure called en bloc capsulectomy. Theoretically, this approach prevents substances such as biofilm from transferring into your body. Removing the capsule tissue can also reduce the risk of seroma or fluid accumulation in that area. Other surgeons can recommend removing the capsule tissue and implant not in one piece but in complete or total capsulectomy.
Some patients with BII symptoms opt to get different types of implants from the ones causing the illness. They may experience improved symptoms through this approach. However, the symptoms can also potentially recur worse than before.
You can ask your specialist at Aesthetic Surgical Associates about the benefits and risks of breast implants if you are considering going through with the surgery. Though it is not guaranteed that implant removal will improve all BII symptoms, a study found that 96% of patients who had an implant removal and total capsulectomy reported improved or complete resolution of their symptoms.
If you fear you are suffering from breast implant illness, we are here be your advocate through diagnosis and treatment. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Metzinger of Aesthetic Surgical Associates by calling 504-226-8200 today.
