May 12, 2021
Breast Implant Illness Is Real
Joining Dr. Javad Sajan on the Plastic Surgeon Podcast this week is his patient, Sarah Ashbaugh. Sarah underwent en bloc breast implant removal after experiencing breast implant illness. Breast implant illness is a hotly contested topic within the plastic surgery community. In general, breast implant illness, or BII, refers to a collection of various symptoms that can occur months or even years after breast augmentation, as a reaction to breast implants.
Sarah first had a breast augmentation in Colorado in 2012. She had always had small breasts and knew that she wanted breast implants for many years. After a startlingly quick consultation where she didn’t try on implant sizers, she underwent the surgery.
Over the next seven years, Sarah began to experience various symptoms that she never had before. For example, she started having food allergies, headaches, recurrent sinus infections, and out-of-ordinary fatigue. Originally, Sarah was diagnosed with a systemic yeast infection. Howe…