Health
Breast implant surgeries keep causing mysterious diseases – a new study aims to clarify
A woman with a breast implant. Diseases after the operation should now be better researched.
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Breast implants are among the most popular — and seemingly safe — cosmetic surgeries out there. But time and again, the patients have serious problems as the process progresses. A new study aims to shed light on the causes.
Some women dream of larger breasts, others want to have their breasts reconstructed after an illness. Cosmetic surgery with implants is an option in both cases and is now carried out very frequently – but patients often complain about health problems afterwards.
The Cleveland Clinic describes symptoms after breast surgery as joint pain, muscle pain or muscle weakness, but also depression, chronic pain, autoimmune diseases and hair loss. In summary, the symptoms after surgery are referred to as “Breast Implant Illness” (BII) or ASIA (Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants).
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As wide as the symptoms are, the causes have not been researched so far. The German Society for Plastic Surgery, for example, writes that the symptoms are similar to reactions to vaccinations. More precise causes would have to be clarified in individual cases.
A study by the Aarauer Kantonsspital in Switzerland is now intended to bring more clarity to the disease. There they already have experience with cases like Melanie: She reported on Instagram that she had breast implants done a good year ago and “became very ill as a result”. Among other things, she was no longer able to do any sport and had a racing heart when she exerted herself.
The Aarau chief physician for plastic surgery, Jan Plock, reports on dozens of similar cases in “Blick”: “In the last two years we have treated about 30 to 40 such patients. We were able to help many by removing the implants.” Such an operation also helped Melanie, the symptoms disappeared as quickly as they started.
Now he wants to help affected women with his study and get to the bottom of the disease: “We take blood samples before and after the implants are removed. And see if there are any changes that can be used to explain the disease more precisely.”
Sources:Cleveland Clinic, “View”, DGPREC