Australia has seen a rapid increase in breast implant removal in recent years as many women report experiencing severe symptoms post-implantation.
According to data from the Australian Breast Device Registry, the number of women undergoing "explant surgery" - the procedure to remove an implant - has surged from 0.4 in 2016 to seven in 2022.
These figures include women who had their implants extracted post-cancer.
Cristina Tamba, a dermal therapist living in Queensland, Australia, is one of those who underwent an explant procedure.
"I know that I've done the right thing because I feel incredible now," she said.
Tamba had cosmetic breast surgery more than 10 years ago, which she said led to symptoms such as "weight gain, hormonal changes, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts".
These symptoms have been linked to what some call "breast implant illness".
Researchers say the condition is not medically recognised but needs further investigation.
Improved health within 6 months
"I've been removing breast implants now for I'd say five or six years with people that come in who feel that they're unwell, and probably about 80 per cent of them will come back in six months and say they feel a lot better," Dr Peter Widdowson, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at the Lotus Institute, said.
A study, conducted by Macquarie University in Australia, on 226 women with breast implants found that 85 per cent of the 77 who underwent explant surgery reported improved health six months after the procedure.
The study was the first attempt to look at illness suffered by women with breast implants in the country.
"When you have so many symptoms, and so many variables, you have to take time, systematically go through all the data, and obviously look at outcomes over a period of time," Anand Deva, a professor at Macquarie University, said.
Experts advise women with implants to have annual check-ups.
According to a survey published by the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery in 2023, breast augmentation was the second most cosmetic surgery with 26 per cent of the respondents having undergone the procedure.
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