Risks and Complications of Breast Implants and Breast Augmentation
As with all types of surgery, there are inherent risks to breast augmentation surgery. These may include general risks related to the procedure, medical risks including infection, and the risk of your not being satisfied with the result of the procedure. Each of these risks must be considered carefully and you must be aware of all of them before undergoing the breast augmentation surgery.
The risks of surgery — any kind of surgery — go up if you are not in good general health. You must tell your surgeon if you have any health condition, such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease, or allergies. You must also tell him or her about every medication or supplement that you take, even vitamins and herbal remedies. He or she will ask you about your drinking habits and if you use recreational drugs. You should answer all questions honestly because your answers can have an effect on the outcome of your surgery.
General Risks
The risks involved in any surgery include those related to anesthesia and to operative or post-operative bleeding.
An allergic reaction to anesthesia is one of the most common general risks. Even if you have had surgery and anesthesia successfully in the past, you could have an allergic response this time. You could also have a reaction to any of the other medications used during your surgery.
You may bleed excessively either during or after surgery. In extreme cases, you may need a transfusion to replace lost blood. Other complications include a hematoma or seroma forming at the incision site or around the implant. A hematoma is a pocket of blood that may be clotted or partially clotted. If you have ever had a blood blister, that is a hematoma. A seroma is a pocket of watery fluid. Treatment for either a hematoma or a seroma may include just watching and waiting for them to slowly resolve or inserting a needle to drain them.
You may lose some sensitivity in and around your breasts. There is usually a temporary loss of sensation in the nipples and areolas. This loss of sensitivity usually subsides, but in rare cases there may be a permanent loss of sensation in the breast area.
You could experience excessive scar formation at the incision site. Proper post-operative care can help to reduce this risk, but excessive scarring may still occur, even when everything is done properly. People with darker skin are at greater risk for developing excessive scars.
The breast and other tissue around the implant could die. This condition, known as necrosis, is extremely rare, but it may be more prevalent in patients who undergo radioactive or chemotherapy treatments, smoke or have poor circulation.
Finally, extrusion of the implant is an extremely rare risk, but possible. When the body rejects the implant, it may attempt to push the implant out of the body via the skin. The patient should be aware of this possibility and notify their breast augmentation surgeon immediately if the implant becomes visible under the skin. The implant must be removed at this time to prevent infections and major scarring.
Infection
The risk of infection does exist, although it occurs in less than 2% of breast augmentation patients. Infections usually develop within the first 4 to 6 weeks after surgery.
Capsular Contracture
Capsular contracture, or CC, can occur after breast augmentation surgery. Essentially, CC is excessive scar tissue forming around the implant that hardens and squeezes the implant. The implant can become hard, compact and round in severe cases and the appearance of the breasts will likely be altered. CC can be painful and can lead to rupture of the implant. The condition is not likely to resolve on its own and often requires additional surgeries to correct.
CC is classified according to four levels called the Baker grading system:
Breast Implant Rupture or Deflation
Breast implants do not last forever. As a result, rupture or deflation of a breat implant is a very real concern for breast augmentation patients. With a silicone implant, rupture may not have symptoms. Saline-filled implants may deflate slowly, but can deflate rather quickly after a rupture. In either case, the implant needs to be removed or replaced immediately. Ruptures may occur as a result of normal wear and tear over time, from an improperly filled implant, or can occur during the compression of a mammogram.
Implant Migration
It is possible for an implant to move out of place. This can create an asymmetrical appearance and may have to be corrected surgically.
Rippling or Contour Irregularities
Rippling or contour irregularities are problems related to the appearance of an implant. Some ripples in the implants are only visible when you are in one position, but not others. Implants that are placed under only the breast tissue (subglandular implants) are more likely to suffer from ripples. Silicone breast implants are less likely to show ripples than saline implants.
Bottoming Out
This condition occurs when the supportive tissue beneath the breasts begins to wear out, and the natural crease below the breast starts to lower itself. Again, an additional surgery will be required to correct this condition. The additional surgery usually entails the addition of permanent sutures.
“Double Bubble”
"Double bubble" is a slang term used to describe a situation where the implant is placed under the muscle in a patient who has breasts that are beginning to sag. When this occurs, the implants may stay in their rightful place, while the natural breast tissue may begin to sag, creating the illusion of four breasts instead of two.
General Dissatisfaction with Breast Augmentation Results
One of the risks of any cosmetic procedure is the possibility that you will not be fully satisfied with the results of the surgery. General dissatisfaction may also occur when the patient fails to convey her expectations and desired appearance to the surgeon. Before your surgery, you must be as clear and detailed as possible when describing how you want to look afterward. This will help reduce the possibility that you are disappointed after the breast augmentation surgery.
Dissatisfaction with the results is more likely if you have unrealistic ideas of what having breast implants can do for you. Breast augmentation can help you feel better about yourself, it cannot change the rest of your life.
