132 | Surgeon Explains Breast Implant Illness: What Women Need to Know

May 18, 2026

We're talking about Breast Implant Illness — BII. An estimated 400,000 women believe their implants are making them sick. Tens of thousands of adverse reports have been filed with the FDA. And with roughly 300,000 implant procedures performed every year in the US, this is a public health conversation we can no longer ignore.

Women are reporting fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, hair loss, and autoimmune-like symptoms — often dismissed by doctors for years. The research is ongoing, but the FDA has added new warnings, and the conversation around patient safety and informed consent is finally gaining real traction

Our guest, Sean Doherty, MD, FACS, is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Boston. Dr. Doherty is seeing an increasing number of patients seeking guidance on BII, including those considering implant removal or replacement.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1.    How breast implant illness (BII) is defined, and what has contributed to the growing awareness around it in recent years

2. The most common symptoms in patients who are concerned about BII
3. When a patient is concerned about possible breast implant illness, what the evaluation process looks like—from the first conversation through deciding next steps
4. The risk factors or patient profiles that may make someone more susceptible to complications or symptoms associated with breast implants
5. For patients who believe they may be experiencing BII, the options that are available to them
6. How the field of plastic surgery has evolved in recent years to better prioritize patient safety, informed consent, and long-term outcomes when it comes to breast implants
7. Is there such a thing as a safer implant or one designed for autoimmune patients?

è You can learn about his services at: https://www.seandohertymd.com/  

è You can find the links in the show notes at https://ronandlisa.com/podcast/.

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