What are the early symptoms of breast implant illness?

There is no single group of early breast implant illness symptoms that every patient will experience. Common symptoms reported by people who believe they have developed BII include:

• Chronic fatigue: persistent tiredness or a lack of energy that does not improve with normal rest.
• Brain fog: difficulty thinking clearly, memory problems or trouble concentrating.
• Joint and muscle pain: unexplained joint pain, muscle pain, stiffness or discomfort.
• Hair loss: some patients report thinning or increased hair loss after developing implant illness.
• Dry eyes and dry mouth: changes in normal moisture levels are among the reported BII symptoms.
• Skin problems: some people experience unexplained rashes or other changes to their skin.
• Muscle weakness: weakness may occur alongside muscle pain and general fatigue.
• Changes in mood or sleep: some patients report anxiety, low mood or difficulty sleeping.

These symptoms of breast implant illness can also occur with numerous unrelated health problems. Having one or several does not establish that your breast implants are making you ill.

Can breast implants make you sick years later?

Some people report developing breast implant illness several years after receiving breast implants. Others experience symptoms within a few months of surgery, meaning there is considerable variation in when BII symptoms first appear.

A long period without symptoms therefore does not necessarily establish or rule out a connection between implants and subsequent health problems.

Equally, symptoms appearing immediately after breast augmentation, a breast lift with implants or breast reconstruction should not automatically be attributed to BII. Pain, tiredness and swelling can form part of normal postoperative recovery, while certain symptoms could indicate another complication such as infection.

If you are experiencing persistent symptoms, particularly where they are new or worsening, speak to a healthcare provider for an appropriate assessment.

What causes breast implant illness?

The exact cause of breast implant illness is not established. Several theories are being researched, including the possibility that the immune system may respond to implants as foreign objects, potentially creating a prolonged inflammatory response in susceptible individuals.

Other areas being studied include bacterial biofilm on the implant surface, silicone gel bleed, implant rupture and individual susceptibility to autoimmune responses. Microbial contamination during surgery has also been proposed as one possible route through which biofilm could develop on implants.

Researchers have additionally investigated whether substances within implants or implant capsules, including certain heavy metals, could contribute to symptoms.

However, these theories should not be treated as established explanations for BII. Factors affecting whether and when somebody may develop breast implant illness are likely to be complex, and more research is required.

Does the type of breast implant affect BII?

BII symptoms have been reported by people with different types of breast implants, including silicone gel-filled implants and saline implants. Questions have also been raised about whether factors such as implant surface, silicone gel bleed, rupture and the age of breast implants could influence the development of breast implant illness.

At present, having a particular type of implant does not mean that you will develop BII. BII cannot currently be used on its own to prove a negligence claim, but concerns may arise if your surgeon failed to explain the known risks of breast implants, discuss suitable alternatives, assess whether implants were right for you, or provide appropriate aftercare when symptoms were reported.

If you are worried about symptoms after breast implant surgery, you should seek medical advice and keep a record of your symptoms, appointments and any communication with your clinic.

How do I know if my breast implants are making me sick?

It can be difficult to determine whether breast implants are responsible for symptoms because BII symptoms overlap with many other health conditions.

For example, chronic fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain, brain fog, dry mouth and hair loss can have numerous potential explanations. Some symptoms are also similar to those associated with autoimmune conditions and inflammatory disorders.

A healthcare provider may therefore investigate other potential causes, including autoimmune disease or conditions such as Lyme disease where clinically relevant, before attributing persistent symptoms to implants.

There is currently no blood test, scan or other single investigation that can diagnose breast implant illness.

How is breast implant illness diagnosed?

Getting breast implant illness diagnosed can involve a process of excluding other possible causes. This is because BII is not a formally defined official medical diagnosis with agreed diagnostic criteria.

A healthcare provider may consider:

• Your symptoms and when they started
• Your general medical history
• When your breast implants were inserted
• The type of implants you have
• Whether there are physical changes to your breasts
• Blood tests or other diagnostic tests where appropriate
• Other conditions that can produce similar symptoms

Because no specific test exists to diagnose breast implant illness, medical assessment is particularly important. It can identify other conditions requiring treatment and help determine the appropriate next steps.

What are the odds of getting breast implant illness?

There is currently no reliable percentage showing how likely someone with breast implants is to develop breast implant illness.

The lack of an official medical diagnosis and specific diagnostic criteria makes establishing an accurate rate difficult. Reports of BII also include a broad range of symptoms that occur commonly within the wider population.

In the UK, patients and clinicians can report suspected problems with breast implants to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme. These reports help build a picture of what patients are experiencing, but they cannot on their own establish how common implant illness is, or prove that implants caused a particular person's symptoms. If you believe your implants have caused you harm, reporting it is worth doing regardless. 

For this reason, patients considering plastic surgery should discuss the available evidence, recognised risks and areas of uncertainty with their plastic surgeon.

How is breast implant illness treated?

There is no single established BII treatment because the symptoms and potential causes vary between patients.

Treatment should begin with appropriate medical investigation. Where another health condition is identified, treatment may focus on that underlying cause.

For people who continue experiencing symptoms they associate with their implants, implant removal may be considered. Many women have reported that their symptoms improve after having their implants removed, although improvement is not guaranteed.

During breast implant removal, a plastic surgeon may also remove some or all of the surrounding scar tissue in appropriate circumstances. Whether this is necessary should be determined according to the individual patient's condition rather than assumed to be required for every case.

Anyone considering removing their breast implants should discuss the risks, potential benefits and realistic outcomes of further plastic surgery with an appropriately qualified plastic surgeon.

Do BII symptoms improve after implant removal?

Some patients report significant improvement in BII symptoms after implant removal. However, having breast implants removed cannot guarantee that symptoms will disappear.

Where symptoms have another underlying cause, they may continue after breast implant removal. This is another reason why medical assessment is important before deciding to remove breast implants.

Explant surgery also carries its own potential risks. Your plastic surgeon should explain these, along with the likely cosmetic outcome and alternatives, before you decide whether further surgery is appropriate.

Is breast implant illness a sign of negligence?

Breast implant illness itself is not evidence of negligent breast surgery. Experiencing BII symptoms does not mean that your original plastic surgeon provided substandard treatment.

All surgeons have a duty of care towards their patients, however. Whether negligence occurred depends on the treatment provided before, during and after your breast augmentation or breast reconstruction rather than the presence of implant illness itself.

Before breast implant surgery

Your plastic surgeon should assess whether you are suitable for breast implants and provide sufficient information for you to make an informed decision.

This includes explaining the material risks, reasonable alternatives and realistic results you can expect from surgery.

During breast implant surgery

Your plastic surgeon should perform the agreed procedure using an appropriate surgical method and to the expected professional standard. Proper hygiene should also be maintained throughout the operation.

After breast implant surgery

Your surgeon's responsibilities continue after the implants have been inserted. They should provide appropriate aftercare and assess your healing for signs of complications requiring further treatment.

If problems develop, your surgeon should investigate them appropriately and arrange additional care or escalation where necessary.

Read our guide to BII symptoms and the breast augmentation side effects you can make a claim for if your surgeon failed to meet their legal obligations to you.

What breast implant problems could indicate negligence?

Rather than breast implant illness itself, concerns about negligence may arise where there is evidence that the plastic surgeon failed to meet their duty of care and this caused avoidable harm.

Depending on the circumstances, potential signs can include:

• Unexpected or inappropriate scarring that is significantly different in location or extent from what was explained before surgery.
• Significant asymmetry in breast shape, implant height or areola position resulting from poor surgical planning or performance.
• Symmastia, where breast implants cross towards the middle of the chest.
• Double bubble deformity, where the breast sits below the natural breast crease and creates an additional fold.
• Waterfall deformity, where breast tissue falls below the implant.
• Persistent droopiness where an unsuitable procedure may have been performed.
• Areola stretching that may indicate problems with the technique used.

Infection is a recognised complication and does not itself establish negligence. However, failing to provide appropriate aftercare advice, identify signs of infection during follow-up appointments or respond appropriately once an infection has been identified could amount to negligent care.

Independent medical evidence is generally required to establish whether the standard of treatment was unacceptable and directly caused harm.

Can you claim compensation for breast implant illness?

Experiencing breast implant illness symptoms alone does not establish grounds for a cosmetic surgery negligence claim.

To pursue compensation, it would usually need to be shown that your surgeon breached their duty of care and that this failure directly caused you avoidable injury.

For example, a potential claim might concern inadequate informed consent, substandard surgical performance or the negligent management of a separate complication. The presence of implants or BII symptoms would not, by itself, prove these failures occurred.

What should you do if you are concerned about your breast implants?

If you develop unexplained symptoms that you believe may be connected to breast implants, your health should come first. Speak to a healthcare provider so that other possible causes can be investigated.

Keep details of your original breast implant surgery, including the surgeon, clinic, implant type and operation date where available. You should also retain relevant medical records and correspondence.

If there are physical changes to your breasts, photographs can provide a useful record of how these develop.

Where you believe your treatment fell below the expected standard, a specialist solicitor can review the circumstances separately from the question of whether you have breast implant illness.