Can Breast Implant Illness Be Cured With a Total Capsulectomy?
Posted February 15, 2021 in Breast Implant Illness, Breast Implant Removal
3 Minute Read: Some women with breast implants present a variety of symptoms that they feel are directly connected to their saline, silicone, textured, or smooth breast implants. This condition—often referred to as breast implant illness (BII)—is associated with a variety of symptoms, including fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, muscle pain, headaches, chills, sleep disturbance, neurologic, and hormonal issues. All these symptoms are believed to be an autoimmune reaction to the implants, which the body considers a foreign object.Unfortunately, many medical professionals (and plastic surgeons) are hesitant to acknowledge the existence of BII, preventing many women from receiving a medical diagnosis and leaving them in a tough spot when it comes to treatment.
Luckily, there are breast explant surgeons like Dr. Strawn who not only acknowledges the existence of these symptoms and their potential link to breast implants, but also knows how to remove them and reconstruct your breasts to give you the best chance of recovery and ultimate appearance.Removal of breast implants and the capsules of tissue surrounding the implants is an essential step to healing and recovery.
Many of the patients who have undergone total capsulectomy for the treatment of breast implant illness have experienced gradual improvements in their symptoms. This, however, should be done following an evaluation by a primary care physician to rule out any possible diagnosable explanation for the health decline.What Does a Total Capsulectomy Mean?
When breast implants are placed, your body forms a protective capsule of thick scar tissue around the implants. A total or en bloc capsulectomy focuses on removing breast implants and all the scar tissue/capsule that surrounds an implant.Capsule removal is either done in one piece (en bloc) or multiple pieces, depending on the ease of surgery. In some cases, however, it is not always possible to remove all of the capsule without compromising the chest wall, since your heart and lungs are just under your ribs and intercostal muscles.
Dr. Strawn believes that removing the entire capsule is important in treating breast implant illness. By removing the entire capsule, all residual silicone material, biofilm, or other leftover substances are extracted from the body, preventing further health problems.Because breast implant illness is not a well-defined or studied illness, it is impossible to guarantee that all of your symptoms will be relieved or the rate at which improvement will occur.
In Dr. Strawn’s experience, however, all of his patients have experienced a significant reduction in their breast implant illness symptoms following the removal of their implants and capsules.Trust Our Team with Your Breast Implant Removal Procedure
If you believe you have breast implant illness and are considering breast implant removal, don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation with us.With years of experience in breast explant surgery, you can count on Dr. Strawn’s precision and aesthetic excellence. We will explain all aspects of the surgery and help you determine the most appropriate course of action that will take care of all your unique needs, concerns and goals.
Contact us today at 949-612-7231 to get started.