Dr Tang is a research assistant and Dr Faasse is a senior lecturer, School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Dr Anderson is a professional teaching fellow, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Aesthet Surg J. 2022 Mar 15;42(4):381-393. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjab204.
Breast implant illness (BII) is a term used to describe physical and psychological symptoms experienced by some women following breast implant surgery. Few studies have examined the experiences of women with BII-a poorly understood condition with no clear cause or treatment.
The aim of this study was to explore women's experiences of BII, including symptoms, healthcare encounters, social media, and explant surgery.
Employing an exploratory qualitative methodology, researchers undertook semistructured interviews with 29 women who self-identified as having BII. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed by inductive thematic analysis.
Thematic analysis of the interviews identified 6 themes: (1) symptoms without explanation; (2) invalidation and invisibility; (3) making the BII connection; (4) implant toxicity; (5) explant surgery: solution to suffering?; and (6) concealed information. BII was described as distressing and debilitating across multiple domains including relationships, work, identity, and physical and mental health, and symptoms were attributed to implant toxicity and immune system rejection of foreign objects. When their experience was not validated by healthcare professionals, many looked to social media for information, support, and understanding, and saw explant as their only chance of recovery.
BII is disabling mentally and physically. Women with BII require support, understanding, and validation, and proactive treatment to prevent disability. With unclear pathophysiology, future research should examine how biopsychosocial approaches can be used to guide treatment, and how to best support women with BII, focusing on early detection and evidence-based education and intervention.
乳房植入病（BII）是一个术语，用于描述一些女性在乳房植入手术后出现的身体和心理症状。很少有研究探讨过患有 BII 的女性的经历——这是一种尚未被充分了解的病症，其病因或治疗方法均不明确。
本研究旨在探讨女性对 BII 的体验，包括症状、医疗保健遭遇、社交媒体和植入物去除手术。
采用探索性定性方法，研究人员对 29 名自我认定患有 BII 的女性进行了半结构化访谈。访谈进行了录音，并逐字记录下来。采用归纳主题分析法对数据进行分析。
对访谈的主题分析确定了 6 个主题：（1）无法解释的症状；（2）被否定和忽视；（3）建立 BII 联系；（4）植入物毒性；（5）植入物去除手术：痛苦的解决方案？；以及（6）隐瞒信息。BII 在多个领域造成了困扰和衰弱，包括人际关系、工作、身份、身体和心理健康，症状归因于植入物毒性和免疫系统对异物的排斥。当她们的经历没有得到医疗保健专业人员的认可时，许多人在社交媒体上寻求信息、支持和理解，并将植入物去除视为恢复的唯一机会。
BII 在身体和精神上都使人衰弱。患有 BII 的女性需要支持、理解和认可，以及积极的治疗以防止残疾。由于病因学不明确，未来的研究应该研究如何使用生物心理社会方法来指导治疗，以及如何最好地支持患有 BII 的女性，重点是早期发现以及基于证据的教育和干预。
