Potential Risks - Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation has been performed since the early 1970s, and over one hundred thousand augmentation procedures are performed successfully every year. Modern techniques are very safe and almost always result in a happy patient. Complications are extremely unusual, but patients should be fully informed prior to surgery. Dr. Bartell is happy to discuss any concern you may have.
Dr. Bartell uses saline implants for all augmentation procedures. These implants consist of a solid silicone shell with saline (salt-water) inside. Hundreds of studies have been performed to evaluate the safety of saline implants, and to date no study has shown any connection with the occurrence of collagen vascular disease.
When a foreign substance is placed under the skin, the body naturally places a scar around it. In the case of a breast implant, this scar is called the capsule. Usually this capsule remains soft and insignificant. However, in a small minority of women the capsule can start to tighten. This squeezing of the soft implant can cause the breast to feel harder. It is impossible to predict who may experience this complication, known as capsular contracture. If it does occur, further surgery may be necessary to try to treat it.
While all surgery carries the small risk of bleeding or infection, these are extremely unlikely with breast augmentation. Some women report altered sensation in one or both nipples following surgery (either oversensitive or under sensitive). These symptoms are usually temporary, but may persist in some patients. Since the implants are man-made, there is an extremely small chance that they may break or leak at some future time. If this were to happen, the implant deflates and the body simply absorbs the saline. Implant manufacturers guarantee their product for the patient’s lifetime, and will provide a free implant and pay for the replacement surgery if deflation occurs within the first five years.
While the presence of breast implants does not make a woman more susceptible to the development of breast cancer, they may alter the way mammography is performed. Usually, additional views are required to ensure that the implant doesn’t obscure part of the breast tissue.
Other rare complications of breast augmentation include breast asymmetry (size and/or shape differences), implant shifting in the first few days following surgery, and an unexpected size result. While the vast majority of patients experience none of these complications, feel free to discuss each of them with Dr. Bartell to make sure you understand the risks and consequences of breast augmentation. You can decrease your risk of any complications by consulting a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery who performs breast augmentation on a regular basis, like Dr. Bartell.
