A Qualitative Analysis of Self-Reported Experiences Among Women Encountering Difficulties With Silicone Breast Implants

Abstract

The recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deliberations about the safety and effectiveness of siliconegel-filled breast implants generated a great deal of publicity. In part, due to this publicity, many women wrote letters to the United States FDA describing their experiences with breast implant surgery. The majority of women reported satisfactory results, but a smaller number reported experiencing problems that they attributed to their implants. A review of the literature failed to disclose any systematic approach to dealing with the psychosocial problems associated with complications thought to be due to implants. A qualitative analysis of the letters received from women experiencing problems with breast implants revealed four distinct themes or patterns: 1) inadequate information provided prior to surgery; 2) pain and other symptoms not taken seriously by their physicians; 3) inability to carry on normal activities; and 4) concerns about the future. The authors provide a rationale for the existence of continuing problems in communicating between female patients with breast implants and their health care providers. Future studies to investigate the psychosocial sequelae experienced by women attributing problems to their breast implants are suggested.