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Breast Implant Illness


Plastic Surgery in Miami
(305) 860-0717

After breast implant surgery, some people develop breast implant illness because of the implants. Although there is no official medical diagnosis for this condition, it can be debilitating for someone. 

What is Breast Implant Illness?

Breast implant illness is a series of symptoms that develop after a breast implant procedure.

Breast Implant Illness Treatment in Miami

How Common is Breast Implant Illness?

The current rate of developing breast implant illness is 1 in 2,000 or 1 in 86,000. You can reduce the risk of developing breast implant illness by using quality breast implants and hiring the best breast implant surgeons available in terms of qualification, certification, and expertise in surgery performance.

Causes of Breast Implant Illness

There are several plausible causes of this condition.

Types of Breast Implants 

You can develop breast implant illness with silicone or saline breast implants. The bacteria or fungi in saline breast implants can spread as the salt solution leaks to surrounding tissues. Silicone gel toxicity in the body is responsible for silicone breast implant illness.

Breast Implant Rupture

Breast implants can rupture post-surgery because of poor surgical handling or low-quality implants. Ruptured breast implants leak their contents to the surrounding breast tissue, increasing the risk of getting breast implant infection.

Breast implant rupture symptoms include: changes in breast shape and size, discomfort or pain, and swelling that persists for weeks.

You may also get signs of breast implant illness along with these problems. Although symptoms vary from person to person, there are standard breast implant illness symptoms. 

Problems with Breast Implants Under the Muscle

Your body treats the breast implant as a foreign object. It can react by attacking the silicone sac and surrounding breast tissues, causing pain, inflammation, and slow wound healing. Submuscular breast implants can also form scars that fuse with the implant’s silicone shell forming an encapsulated breast implant. Capsular contracture breast implants cause discomfort, breast asymmetry, hardness and tightness, and visible rippling.

Signs of Breast Implant Problems

  • Muscle and joint pain
  • Extreme tiredness
  • Cognitive problems like memory loss and low concentration
  • Rashes and skin problems
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Sleep problems
  • Dry mouth and eyes
  • Anxiety and depression

Your risk of post-surgery complications decreases when you work with a qualified plastic surgeon. 

Breast Implant Illness

Treatment and Diagnosis in Miami

If you exhibit these symptoms, your clinician will perform a breast implant illness test to rule out the possibility of having other underlying conditions. They will use your medical history and symptoms as a guide during the assessment.

Breast Implant Removal

Once you get a prognosis for breast implant illness, your surgeon may recommend having the breast implant removed. The surgeon determines if you qualify for a breast implant revision depending on the available breast tissue and your body’s reaction to the breast implant. The surgeon can perform a breast lift without implants to reconstruct your breasts.

Aside from a breast implant removal and lift surgery, the plastic surgeon can also perform a breast implant exchange if the implants’ quality is to blame for the resulting illness.

After breast implant removal, side effects can become unbearable. You may experience bleeding, nipple numbness, breast asymmetry, loose skin, fluid buildup where the implant was, and scarring.

Breast Implant Removal Recovery

The quality of your breast implant removal recovery impacts the healing process.

Ensure you get: 

  • Plenty of rest – have a caregiver look after you as you recuperate
  • Stay in a clean environment to avoid infections at the surgical site
  • Eat healthy meals – to strengthen your immunity and expedite wound healing
  • Drink plenty of fluids – to stay hydrated and improve your bodily functions

Is Breast Implant Removal Covered by Insurance?

If the clinician approves the removal of breast implants after a mastectomy, insurance will most likely cover the procedure.
Both men and women alike suffer from problems from breast implants. Dr. Mendieta and his team at 4Beauty Aesthetic Institute for Plastic Surgery in Miami are standing by and ready to answer all of your questions about breast implant illness and available solutions. Call us today to schedule a consultation at 305-860-0717. You may also contact us online.

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