The Aesthetic Society & The Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation unveils findings from the biospecimen study on breast implant illness

This study aims to understand the potential etiologies of the systemic symptoms self-reported by some breast implant patients known as breast implant illness
The Aesthetic Society & The Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation unveils findings from the biospecimen study on breast implant illness
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Breast implant illness (BII) is a term used to describe a variety of symptoms by patients with breast implants for which there are no abnormal physical or laboratory findings to explain their symptoms. This is the first prospective, blinded study with control groups to evaluate women with breast implant illness both qualitatively with symptom surveys and quantitatively with bio specimens (blood and implant capsules). The authors sought to investigate measurable differences between the cohorts to help explain symptoms and point to potential causes.

Key findings published from the study are:

  • There are women with implants who experience a variety of symptoms that they attribute to their implants;
  • They have real symptoms and are distressed that no diagnosis can be made;
  • The ASERF study demonstrated 94% of patients showed improvement in systemic symptoms after removal of their breast implants;
  • The symptom improvement is independent of the type of capsulectomy performed and there was no statistical difference in symptom improvement whether the entire capsule was removed or partially removed at the time of implant removal;
  • The study found low measurable levels of some heavy metals in implant capsules as well as normal breast tissue never exposed to any implanted medical device. None of the groups had tissue levels that exceeded the International Conference on Harmonization level of acceptable internal exposure levels to heavy metals;
  • There was no significant difference in the presence of bacteria on the implants or in the capsules, between the groups validated by analysis of the presence of bacterial DNA;
  • Peripheral blood analysis showed very few statistical differences between the cohorts;
  • Further prospective research is necessary to determine which patients might be at risk for developing systemic symptoms after getting breast implants and how best to treat these patients; and
  • The one-year follow-up data will be published early in 2023.

With over 98% of the BII subjects followed at 6 months, the study concluded that women with symptoms they attribute to their implants do experience symptom improvement after removal of their implants. Ninety-four percent of subjects showed improvement of at least some of their symptoms with a 68% reduction in the number of symptoms reported. The symptom improvement was the same whether the patients had the entire capsule removed or partial removal.

Read the full study here: https://www.theaestheticsociety.org/media/press-releases/aesthetic-society-aesthetic-surgery-education-and-research-foundation-unveils  

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