This is an interesting phenomenon which is getting traction especially with social media. Etiologic cause is thought to be that when implants are in place, the body mounts a physiological response to fight the implant, and subsequently decreases the body‘s immune response to other processes. The mechanism of these symptoms is unclear. They usually have a number of systemic illnesses, some which persist even after the implants are removed. These self reported symptoms include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune disorders, hypothyroidism often with fatigue, joint and muscle pain, brain fog, anxiety or depression and hair loss. It is also known that a variety of other factors can produce these symptoms such as anxiety with or without depression, perimenopause, menopause, hormonal changes, aging, cigarette smoking or marijuana use, also medication‘s have been known to cause the symptomatology. It’s difficult to evaluate subjective symptoms such as hormonal changes and age related physiologic processes. We now know that we don’t have to do a total capsulectomy or the media driven “en bloc” resection of the capsule along with the implant removal to alleviate concerns of breast implant associated illness. Partial capsulectomy (surgical excision of the capsule) with implant removal has shown to be just as effective. Multiple studies have found inconclusive evidence Is a cause-and-effect relationship between silicone implants and breast implant associate illness. My obligation as a plastic surgeon is to advocate for patients based on their symptoms and concerns. It is the right of any of our patients to ask for an explanation, regardless of the reason. It is our duty to listen to their concerns, provide scientifically based answers to all of their questions, and treat them appropriately. I would also recommend that the patient be referred to an internist or rheumatologist to rule out other conditions. Be careful of charlatan plastic surgeons who market themselves as “explantation specialists” they are preying on patients.
Written by: Dr. Stefani