Reports of 24 women with ‘breast implant illness’

Twenty-four women may have been affected by so-called breast implant illness (BII), according to reports received by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

A HPRA spokesperson told the Medical Independent it had received 33 reports which potentially involved BII. Its understanding is that these reports related to 24 individuals.

Some individuals with breast implants may experience systemic symptoms such as joint pain, rashes, memory loss, ‘brain fog’ or other symptoms. “These symptoms and what causes them are not well understood at this time,” according to the Authority. “Some individuals and some health researchers have used the term ‘breast implant illness’ to refer to the experiencing of these symptoms in association with having breast implants and the HPRA continues to monitor the evidence regarding breast implant illness.”

The reports received by the HPRA are consistent with these described symptoms. The Authority said it encourages any individual with concerns to speak to their implanting surgeon or GP and to submit a user report to the HPRA.

To date, the reports received by the HPRA were associated with a range of breast implants from different manufacturers.

The Authority said it would also encourage clinicians to discuss breast implant safety generally, including the potential risk of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), when consenting new individuals, and with any individual returning for review of their breast implants.

The HPRA has received fewer than five reports of BIA-ALCL, which is a separate issue to breast implant illness.

Further information is available on the HPRA website, www.hpra.ie