ArticleAesthetic surgery journal2022
Heavy Metals in Breast Implant Capsules and Breast Tissue: Findings from the Systemic Symptoms in Women-Biospecimen Analysis Study: Part 2.
Article in Aesthetic surgery journal, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- Breast Implant Illness: Symptoms, Outcomes with Explantation and Potential Etiologies-A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2025Pooled it
- Heavy Metals in Breast Implants and Implications for Breast Implant Illness: A Systematic Review of the Literature.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2025Pooled it
- Capsulectomy Following Breast Implant Removal: Evidence-Based Indications and a Framework for Clinical Decision-Making.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2026Review
- Systematic biocompatibility assessment of 4-µm surface silicone implants.Biomaterials and biosystems · 2026Article
- From Hashtags to Health Narratives: A Content Analysis of Breast Implant Illness on TikTok.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2025Article
- Defining Breast Implant Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Patient-reported Symptoms.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2025Article
- Clinical Evaluation of Microbial Communities and Associated Biofilms with Breast Augmentation Failure.Microorganisms · 2024Article
- The Problem of Diagnostic Criteria of Breast Implant Illness in Women After Breast Reconstruction: Review and Discussion of a Case.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2024Review
- Is capsulectomy necessary for symptom improvement in patients undergoing implant removal for systemic symptoms?Case reports in plastic surgery & hand surgery · 2024Article
- Implant-based breast surgery and capsular formation: when, how and why?-a narrative review.Annals of translational medicine · 2023Review
- Longevity of Post-Explantation Systemic Symptom Improvement and Potential Etiologies: Findings From the ASERF Systemic Symptoms in Women-Biospecimen Analysis Study: Part 4.Aesthetic surgery journal · 2023Article
- Patient Safety Advisory-Breast Implant Removal and Capsulectomy.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2023Article
- Microbes, Histology, Blood Analysis, Enterotoxins, and Cytokines: Findings From the ASERF Systemic Symptoms in Women-Biospecimen Analysis Study: Part 3.Aesthetic surgery journal · 2023Article
- Tunable Aryl Alkyl Ionic Liquid Supported Synthesis of Platinum Nanoparticles and Their Catalytic Activity in the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction and in Hydrosilylation.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Self-Reported Breast Implant Illness: The Contribution of Systemic Illnesses and Other Factors to Patient Symptoms.Aesthetic surgery journal. Open forum · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBreast Implant Illness (BII), as described in recent medical literature and by social media, describes a range of symptoms in patients with breast implants for which there are no physical findings or laboratory results that explain their symptoms.
objectivesPart 2 of this study aims to determine whether heavy metals are present in the capsules around saline and silicone implants and if there are statistical differences in the type or level of these metals between women with or without symptoms. Demographic data was collected to investigate potential alternate sources of metals: inhaled, absorbed, or ingested.
methodsA prospective, blinded study enrolled 150 consecutive subjects divided equally into in three cohorts: (A) women with systemic symptoms they attribute to their implants who requested implant removal, (B) women with breast implants requesting removal or exchange who do not have symptoms they attribute to their implants, and (C) women undergoing cosmetic mastopexy who have never had any implanted medical device. Capsule tissue was removed from Cohort A and B for analysis of 22 heavy metals. Additionally, breast tissue was obtained from a control group with no previous exposure to any implanted medical device.
resultsThe study was performed between 2019-2021. Heavy metal content was compared between the capsule tissue from Cohort A and B. The only statistically significant differences identified in Cohort A were higher levels of arsenic and zinc, and lower levels of cobalt, manganese, silver, and tin. There were no elevated levels or statistically significant differences in the other metals tested between Cohorts A and B.
conclusionsThis study analyzes the metal content in capsules surrounding both saline and silicone breast implants. Heavy metals were also detected in the non-implant control group breast tissue, with some metals at numerically higher levels than either breast implant cohort. Smoking, gluten free diets, dietary supplements, and the presence of tattoos were all identified as statistically significant sources of arsenic and zinc in Cohort A. The risk of heavy metal toxicity should not be used as an indication for total capsulectomy if patients elect to remove their breast implants. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3:
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