Danica Patrick's Breast Implant Illness Plagued Her For Years & Here's What You Need To Know

What is Breast Implant Illness?

Breast Implant Illness, or BII, is a collection of symptoms that someone with breast implants may experience.

It can occur with any type of breast implant, including silicone gel-filled and saline-filled, according to the non-profit group BreastCancer.org. The site also notes that BII could be related to an autoimmune reaction to the implants.

Youn says the most common symptoms can include "fatigue, hair loss, unexplained rashes, joint and muscle aches and brain fog."

The Cleveland Clinic says there is no official medical diagnosis for BII and that continues to be studied and researched so doctors can better understand it.

How is Breast Implant Illness diagnosed?

Youn tells Narcity the challenge with BII is there's no way to truly diagnose it.

"There's no blood test or anything like that. The only way to determine whether somebody has breast implant illness is if you take their implants out and they seem to get better," he explains.

How is Breast Implant Illness treated?

BreastCancer.org says the most effective treatment for BII is to have the implants removed, as well as the surrounding scar tissue. Experts also don't recommend replacing the implants with new ones.

“I tell patients with BII symptoms that I don’t recommend getting implants again because they are probably predisposed to reacting to breast implants," Dr. Matthew G. Stanwix, a plastic surgeon in Virginia tells the organization. "Both the saline and silicone types are made from similar materials; both have shells made from silicone."

How quickly will you feel better after having your breast implants removed?

In Danica Patrick's case, she says she felt better within hours after surgery. In an Instagram post, Patrick explained that her face had more colour and fewer dark circles after the surgery. She also had more energy and she could breathe deeper.

According to Youn, BII studies have shown a 50% to 85% chance that symptoms will improve after the implants are removed.

"It's not uncommon to have an immediate improvement," Youn says. "But once again, the improvement in symptoms does appear to continue to change and improve over the ensuing months."

However, he does note that there are women who have their implants removed and their symptoms don't get any better.

That would then indicate the patient's autoimmune disease is caused by something else.

Has there been an increase in breast implant removal surgeries?

Youn says in the past few years he's seen an increase in women wanting to have their breast implants removed.

"I was one of the first plastic surgeons to go public with believing that breast implant illness is real. It is still a controversial topic in the field of plastic surgery," he explains. "There are a lot of plastic surgeons who don't believe it's real and believe that implants cannot make people sick and give them autoimmune issues."

Why are some doctors skeptical about Breast Implant Illness?

Youn says there are skeptics because there's not enough scientific evidence about the condition. Hopefully that will soon change.

"The studies that have been performed in our literature have not really looked at these types of symptoms in depth, and when they have looked at it the results have been equivocal, so some studies appear to show potential issues and some studies do not," he says. "Unfortunately, we have not had any science to show definitively that BII is a real thing."

Are breast implants safe?

According to the Mayo Clinic, both saline and silicone breast implants are considered safe.

Youn agrees that the prosthesis is safe for the vast majority of women.

The plastic surgeon adds that breast augmentation surgery has over a 95% satisfaction rate and is the most popular type of cosmetic surgery in the U.S.

"There is a small group, small subset of patients who for some reason their body reacts to the implants," he notes. "Whether it's the silicone or some other components of the implant causing them to have these autoimmune symptoms that don't appear to improve unless those implants are removed."

Of course, like with any surgery, there are risks and complications that can happen.

A doctor will explain those to you prior to the surgery.

What should you do if you're concerned about your breast implants?

Youn says the best thing you can do if you have any concerns is to speak to your doctor who can help you find the best solution.

If you're happy with your implants, then there's no reason to take them out, he emphasizes.

However, if you're unhappy with them or you're experiencing medical issues then removing them may be the answer.

"What I really recommend is to talk with your physician, the plastic surgeon who is sympathetic to your concerns and make that decision individually," he says.