Understanding the Dangers of Breast Implants

Breast augmentation is the top most popular plastic surgery procedure amongst women. Most women want to improve their body’s shape while some do it to replace breast tissue after cancer surgery; whatever the reason maybe, you should stay aware of possible complications after the procedure. In most cases, the outcome is fine. But some patients suffer problems from ruptured devices to a newly discovered, rare cancer. Before we get into the risks and complications of breast implants, let’s learn the two types. If you are a plastic surgeon and run your own clinic and facing problems how to take increase your patients click here.

· Saline-Filled Breast Implants: Silicone pockets filled with sterile salt water approved from augmentation in women 18 years or older. Structured saline breast implants have an additional inner structure that lends a more natural feel than the standard saline-filled implants.

· Silicone Gel-Filled Breast Implants: Silicone shells filled with silicone typically feel more like real breasts. However, they post more of a risk if they leak.

So now that you know the types, here are 6 risks you should know before undergoing breast implants:

1) Chronic Chest Pain: A recent study showed that silicone breast implants may cause an atypical chest pain syndrome, similar to heart attacks.

2) Increased Cancer Risk: Women with breast implants have significantly elevated instances of cancers of the stomach, vulva, brain and leukemia. More specifically, women with silicone breast implants do have a higher risk for developing the rare anaplastic large cell lymphoma. This type of cancer can be particularly insidious and the risk is higher with textured implants rather than smooth implants. If it’s diagnosed early enough, it’s usually treatable and not often fatal.

3) Asymmetry: Undergoing breast implants can result in asymmetry – and not be symmetrical after implantation.

4) Breast Pain: Ongoing pain in the nipple or breast.

5) Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding may or may not be affected by implants. Another consideration is that it is possible that a small amount of silicone may pass through breast implants’ silicone shell into breast milk during breastfeeding.

6) Hematomas: Blood collects near the surgical site resulting in swelling, bruising and pain. Large hematomas may require surgical draining.

Undergoing breast implants is at your own consent. Keep in mind, breast implants are not lifetime devices. The longer you have breast implants, the more likely it is that complications will occur and you will need to have them removed. You may need to have one or more reoperations over the course of your life due to one complication or a combination of local complications. These are the types of surgical procedures that may be performed in a reoperation:

Implant removal, with or without replacement
Capsule removal or surgical release of the scar tissue around the breast implant
Scar or wound revision, such as surgical removal of excess scar tissue
Drainage of a hematoma by inserting a needle or tube through the skin to drain the collection of blood
Biopsy/cyst removal by inserting a needle through the skin or cutting through the skin to remove a lump