Perception of Implants among Breast Reconstruction Patients in Montreal

Abstract

Background: In light of the recent surge of media coverage and social media influence regarding breast implants, it is essential to understand patients’ concerns and misconceptions so that we can better serve them. Methods: The authors designed a survey study for assessing the awareness and perception of patients toward breast implant–associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) and breast implant illness (BII). In total, 130 patients presenting to the senior author’s breast reconstruction clinic completed the survey. The survey assessed patients’ knowledge on and their perception of BIA-ALCL and BII. Results: “News article” and “Television” were most often selected as sources of information for BIA-ALCL (21% and 20%, respectively) and BII (20% and 25%, respectively). A total of 100 patients (77%) had previous knowledge of BIA-ALCL. Forty-seven percent (n = 47/100) responded that they were unsure of the fate of a person diagnosed with BIA-ALCL, and 25% (n = 25/100) were unaware of the association between BIA-ALCL and specific implant type. Patients who were unaware of BIA-ALCL prognosis reported being less likely to receive breast implants in the future (P = 0.012, χ2 = 19.48). Eighty-nine patients (68%) had previous knowledge of BII. A total of 60 symptoms were mentioned by patients, with “Fatigue” (12%, n = 26) being cited the most often. Conclusions: The present survey highlights the importance for plastic surgeons to frequently discuss these entities with their patients. This should be done despite the obscurity of BII, in an effort to offer the best available evidence to our patients.

Perceptions and attitudes toward unusual complications following breast implant surgeries among Saudi female patients: How knowledgeable are our patients?

“…Thus, it is essential to educate patients about the common signs and symptoms of complications associated with breast implants. [ 9 ] In the present study, most participants (59%) were not aware of capsular contracture. Of the participants who were aware of capsular contracture, most had heard about it from social media (39%), followed by their physician (32%).…”

“…[ 11 ] In the present study, most participants (67%) were unaware of BIA-ALCL. In contrast, in a similar study conducted by Bouhadana et al ,[ 9 ] only 16% of the participants were unaware of BIA-ALCL. This indicates the lack of awareness among the Saudi population and the importance of raising awareness.…”

“…They must also conduct a psychological analysis of the patient as recent research has suggested that BII could be psychosomatic; it can be caused by the psychological fixation on common symptoms attributed to the presence of a foreign body and increased by the wave of shared experiences across social media. [ 3 9 ] The relationship between the clinical and pathophysiological aspects of BII and the lack of scientific data should be clearly communicated to patients.…”

“…The authors reviewed the literature and designed and developed a valid and reliable questionnaire by referring to several published studies that used validated questionnaires with similar objectives and aims. [ 9 10 ] The 26-item questionnaire was developed using Google Forms® (USA) to capture the perceptions and knowledge about BII, capsular contracture, and BIA-ALCL among patients who had undergone breast implant surgeries. The questionnaire was distributed via WhatsApp® (Mountain View, CA, USA).…”

Public Awareness of Breast Implant-associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma in Saudi Arabia

“… 7 On the contrary, Bouhadana et al reported that 70% of their sample knew about BIA-ALCL, mainly through newspapers, television, and physicians. 8 Their findings could be explained by the fact that more than 80% of the recruited population had a background of breast cancer and underwent reconstruction with implants.…”