Breast implant illness is a term that some women and doctors use to refer to a wide range of symptoms that can develop after undergoing breast augmentation. Symptoms such as tiredness and fatigue, pain in the chest and body, loss of hair, headaches, low mood, confusion, unexplained rashes, sudden body odour and more. The symptoms reported are unique to each woman experiencing them and there appears to be no clear pattern in regard to when the symptoms first appear. Some women report to have struggled with issues from immediately after surgery whilst others claim to have developed symptoms many years later. BII can occur with any type of breast implant, including silicone gel-filled, saline-filled, smooth surface, textured surface, round, or teardrop-shaped.
Although BII is not officially recognised within the medical world we feel it is important to inform our patients of its existence so they can make an informed decision about the surgery and understand the possible risks associated with the procedure.
Below are some links to further information and a joint statement from BAAPS and BAPRAS:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326158#is-bii-real
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7882356
https://baaps.org.uk/_userfiles/pages/files/bii_information.pdf
http://www.bapras.org.uk/docs/default-source/alcl-guidance/25_11_final-joint-statement.pdf?sfvrsn=2
