Assessing Long-Term Outcomes in Breast Implant Illness: The Missing Link? A Systematic Review

The purpose of this special topic article is to explore the current state of outcomes-based literature related to breast implant illness and summarize the key understandings that emerge from the summation of existing studies. While implanted silicone devices are some of the most ubiquitous products in modern medicine, the safety of silicone breast implants has long remained under scientific scrutiny. In the era of social media and with breast implants once again under public scrutiny with the recent connection of texture silicone implants to breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma, the borders between breast implant illness and other implant-related diseases are becoming clouded in the public eye. The surgical management options for breast implant illness range from simple implant explantation alone to complete en bloc capsulectomies, or even secondary exploratory operations for additional capsulectomy in persistently symptomatic patients. In this review of outcomes-based studies related to breast implant illness, the authors found that a subset of patients improves with surgical intervention but limited evidence to inform most current surgical management practices. Further, the nature of this illness renders it difficult to study. A carefully designed, large, prospective, outcomes-based study is still required if an evidence-based and sound treatment approach for this condition is to be established.