Breast Implant Illness: What is it, and how can hyperbaric oxygen therapy help?
Learn the potential benefits of HBOT for breast implant illness recovery
As one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures, every year more and more people are choosing to have breast implants to boost their self-esteem and body confidence.
And while breast implants have the power to change your life for the better, what you may not know is that they may also be the cause of some very serious health issues.
What is breast implant illness?
Breast implant surgery itself is known to come with potential risks—such as scarring, breast pain, infection, sensory changes, and implant leakage or rupture.
Now, medical professionals are beginning to understand that there’s another serious condition associated with breast implants—and it’s one that could be causing patients to suffer for years without even knowing.
Breast implant illness, or BII, is a term used to refer to a wide range of symptoms that can develop after undergoing reconstruction or cosmetic augmentation with breast implants.
BII can occur with any type of breast implant, including silicone gel-filled, saline-filled, smooth surface, textured surface, round, or teardrop-shaped. [1]
What are the symptoms of breast implant illness?
The specific manifestation of BII symptoms are often unique to each person. The top 10 most common symptoms reported to the FDA for patients with breast implants include:
- Fatigue (49 percent)
- Brain fog (25 percent)
- Joint pain (25 percent)
- Anxiety (24 percent)
- Hair loss (21 percent)
- Depression (19 percent)
- Rash (18 percent)
- Autoimmune diseases (18 percent)
- Inflammation (18 percent), and/or
- Weight problems (18 percent). [2]
Other BII symptoms may include breathing problems, headaches, and gastrointestinal problems. [1]
These symptoms can appear at any time after breast implant surgery. Because many of these symptoms are associated with other medical conditions, patients are very commonly misdiagnosed.
Breast implant illness recovery options
To resolve the symptoms of BII, leading plastic surgeons recommend a type of explant surgery called en bloc capsulectomy. This is where the breast implant is removed along with the outer capsule (the layer of scar tissue that forms around the implant). Others recommend a total capsulectomy, where the implant and surrounding capsule is removed, just not in one piece.
After explant surgery, most patients see a reduction in BII symptoms within 3 months. Most patients report feeling “back to normal” within around 1–2 years, once the implants’ toxicity has fully left the body. [1]
How HBOT can help with breast implant illness recovery
After any type of surgery, your body needs time to heal. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy after explant surgery can help you heal faster with less pain, inflammation, and swelling.
HBOT can also help repair the underlying damage from the breast implants’ toxicity which was causing the BII symptoms.
Our success stories
As medical research continues to shed more light on BII, we’re treating a growing number of patients who are looking to speed up their recovery process after explant surgery.
At Hyperbaric Healing Treatment Center, we’ve developed a specialized HBOT protocol to treat our BII patients.
After undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy, our patients report:
- Reduced body inflammation
- Reduced joint pain
- Reduced headaches
- Reduced fatigue, and
- Several cognitive benefits.
Want to learn more about hyperbaric oxygen therapy for breast implant illness recovery?
Our trained, caring team hyperbaric specialists are ready to answer any questions you may have! We welcome you to contact us today.
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