SynthesisAesthetic plastic surgery2025
Heavy Metals in Breast Implants and Implications for Breast Implant Illness: A Systematic Review of the Literature.
Synthesis in Aesthetic plastic surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeBreast implant illness (BII) has raised concerns about breast implant safety, with some suggesting that heavy metals released from implants could contribute to systemic symptoms. This systematic review examines the presence of metal residues in breast implants and surrounding tissues, and their potential role in BII.
methodsA systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines was conducted using EMBASE, Web of Science, and PUBMED for studies published until January 2024. Inclusion criteria targeted material science and clinical research on metal residues in patients with breast implants. Data on metal concentrations, detection techniques, sample types, and clinical outcomes were extracted.
resultsOur search identified 304 titles, from which seven unique studies met inclusion criteria. Platinum, the most frequently detected metal, was detected in implant gel, capsular tissue, and systemic samples (blood, urine, and hair), in concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 125.27 μg/g. No consistent correlation was identified between metal levels and BII symptoms. Tin, aluminum, arsenic, and zinc were detected at low levels, below established toxicity thresholds, and often attributed to environmental exposure due to their presence in control groups. Inconsistencies in metal concentrations across studies were linked to variations in metal detection techniques and sample preparation.
conclusionWe highlight the presence of metal residues, particularly platinum, in breast implants and adjacent tissue, but without a definitive link to BII. Current evidence does not support heavy metal toxicity as a primary justification for total capsulectomy in BII management. Further evidence-based clinical guidelines are needed to better inform management of BII. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Indexed as
Identifiers
40379928What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.