Getting a breast augmentation can be a complicated surgery, and complications can happen. Breast augmentation surgery that is more invasive can pose more risks and take longer to heal from. In general, the risk of a procedure goes up the more invasive it is.
Before you have surgery to make your breasts bigger, talk to a board-certified plastic surgeon who has experience with breast augmentation about the risks. Risks can be reduced by choosing a skilled, experienced plastic surgeon to do the procedure and by carefully following the surgeon’s instructions before and after the surgery.
Breast Augmentation Complications Long-Short Term include:
- Asymmetry
- Infection
- Double Bubble
- Bottoming Out
- Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma
- Capsular Contracture
Asymmetry
Breast augmentation can lead to asymmetrical (uneven) breasts for a number of reasons, such as uneven healing. One solution is fat transfer breast augmentation, in which your own fat is injected into your breasts to make them look more even. This procedure can also be done after breast reconstruction, to treat tuberous breasts, or to make a small change (less than one cup size).
Infection
Most infections happen within a few days or weeks of surgery. In rare cases, an infection can happen long after Breast plastic surgery, even after the wounds have fully healed. The outcome is better if an infection is found and treated as soon as possible. In severe cases, the implant may need to be taken out until the infection goes away. (It can be changed at some point in the future.)
Double Bubble
“Double bubble” is a term for a problem that can happen after surgery when breast implants were used to make the breasts bigger. Specifically, a double bubble happens when an implant falls down behind the natural fold (inframammary crease) where the lower breast meets the chest instead of forward into the breast. This shifting makes an unnatural line or depression across the bottom (lower pole) of the breast, which is especially noticeable when the arms are lifted above the head. When double bubble is seen from the side, it gives the impression of four breasts. Fortunately, double bubble is a fairly rare problem that can usually be fixed.
Bottoming Out
Bottoming out is a problem that happens when the implant sits too low in the breast tissue and pushes the nipple up. Bottoming out can be fixed with breast augmentation revision surgery that creates a new pocket for the implant inside the breast (s).
Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma
A woman’s chance of developing an extremely uncommon form of blood cancer known as anaplastic large cell lymphoma may be increased if she has breast implants (ALCL). Worldwide, there are between 5 and 10 million women who had breast implants. So far, there have been 60 recorded instances of ALCL. Given the low incidence of this malignancy, this number, although being relatively low, is startling. The Food and Drug Administration is in the process of establishing a nationwide register of ALCL cases that are connected to breast implants at this time. When associated to breast implants, this cancer appears to be less aggressive than when diagnosed in situations where breast implants have not been present. In many cases, the only treatment required is the removal of breast implants. Pain, swelling, asymmetry, and/or the development of lumps are all possible symptoms. If you are worried about your risk for ALCL, you should discuss your concerns with your primary care physician, breast surgeon, or gynecologist. Visit our page on ALCL with breast implants right now for the most recent information available.
Capsular Contracture
It is possible to develop capsular contracture, often known as breast hardening, at any time following surgery, but it normally takes place within a few months. Scar tissue forms a capsule around the implant, which causes it to get compressed. This results in the implant and the breast both seeming deformed. In the most severe situations, the implant may have a brittle texture and an irregular form. The capsule that is pressing on the implant has led it to feel as though it has changed or become more rigid, even though the implant itself has not altered or become more rigid. For further information on this problem, including more specifics, please see our article titled “Capsular Contracture.” for more details.
Additional Breast Augmentation Complications
When discussing breast augmentation, there are a number of other risks to take into account in addition to the potential complications that have already been outlined above. These risks should be taken into account. These concerns include the following:
Loss of Sensitivity
After having breast implants put in, you may lose some feeling in your nipple and breast area. This is because the nerve endings in the breast and nipple have been hurt. The loss of feeling could last for good. There may be a higher chance of this complication with some methods of breast augmentation than with others. To lower your risk of this breast sensitivity side effect, your surgeon can help you choose the best type of implant and surgical method.
Breast Feeding
A lot of women with breast implants can still breastfeed, but sometimes the implants can make it hard to do so. Talk to your plastic surgeon before your surgery about whether or not you want to breastfeed. This information could affect how you decide to cut and where you put the implant. For instance, a periareolar incision (a cut around the edge of the nipple) may cause your milk ducts to get messed up. Also, putting the implants below the chest muscle is less likely to affect the milk ducts, so this could be a good choice if you want to breastfeed. Tell your surgeon what you want and plan to do in the future.
Rupture
Breast implants can break or leak, causing them to lose their shape. Ruptures can happen for many reasons, such as the implant wearing out over time, too much pressure on the breast, or damage to the breast. If your breast breaks, it may change in size and shape. If your breast implant breaks, you usually need to have it taken out and replaced or have another type of surgery.
Mammography
When a woman has breast implants, it can make it a little harder to read a mammogram. This isn’t a reason to skip your yearly breast cancer screening exam. Mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is easiest to treat. This is true no matter if you have breast implants or not.
If you have breast implants, you may need extra views called Eklund displacement views. Tell the staff at the breast imaging center that you have implants when you make your appointment so that they can give you extra time for Eklund displacement views.
Your plastic surgeon might be able to suggest a place where a lot of women with breast implants go. At the time of your mammogram, you should remind the tech that you have breast implants. Mammograms can sometimes cause implants to break.
Material from Breast Implants Leaking or Getting into the Body
If a saline breast implant leaks, your body will absorb the saltwater solution without any harm. If a silicone gel-filled breast implant leaks, local problems may happen, like the breast tissue getting hard or scarred. There is, however, no chance that the silicone gel will move out of the breast and cause a disease that affects the whole body.