Complications and Risks of Breast Augmentation
Capsular Contracture is when a scar or area around the implant begins to tighten. This causes the breast to feel hard. Capsules of living, tightly-woven collagen fibers naturally form around a foreign body, which in this case is the silicon-shelled breast implant. There is some speculation that the capsule forms to shield the body from a foreign object by creating a fibrous wall of tissue between the two. Capsular Contracture occurs in 5% of patients. There is no way to tell who will develop this problem and who will not.
Nipple sensitivity or loss of sensitivity usually disappears after several weeks, but for some it may become permanent. It can increase or decrease after surgery. The range of changes varies from intense sensitivity to no feeling in the nipple or breast following surgery. Changes in feeling may affect sexual response or ability to nurse a baby.
Rippling is when the breast begins to have indentations. This is often caused when the implant moves. This occurs most often with saline filled implants, because the fluid in the implant is less viscous than the silicone gel. Many patients favor sub muscular placement of the implants because it offers more soft tissue coverage over the implant. It is rare for rippling to be seen or felt through the muscle.
Ruptures and deflation occur when breast implants tear and/or leak. This may require a 2nd operation to replace the implant. Ruptures and deflation are caused by trauma to breast, injury from surgical instruments, normal wear and tear on implant and mechanical damage prior to or during surgery. Overfilling and under filling may cause too much tension on the implant shell making it more prone to rupture.
Immune system disorders are also a serious risk. Symptoms include joint pain and swelling, fever, fatigue, breast pain, tightness, redness or swelling of the skin, swollen glands or lymph nodes, excessive hair loss, memory problems, headaches, muscle weakness or burning.
Synmastia (bread loafing or uniboob) occurs when the implants cross over the breast bone and actually touch under the tissues. This results in no cleavage and con-joined breasts. This is a technical complication caused by over dissection of the medial pocket over the sternum in the sub glandular plane. Synmastia is also caused by an over-division of the pectoralis muscle origin along the sternum in a sub muscular plane. Over-sized implants also contribute to the problem.
Bottoming out occurs when the lower poles or halves of the breast lose tissue support and the natural crease slowly lowers itself. It is the loss of internal implant support where implant placement with partial, or no muscle coverage. This allows slow downward migration of the implants. This results in the implants end up too low on the chest and the nipples end up positioned too high on the chest wall. The nipples end up positioned too high on the breast mounds and they tend to pop out of the bra or bathing suit top.
Double bubble (double boob or quadruple boob) is a slang term for when the implant is placed under the muscles of a patient with ptotic or sagging breasts. The breast tissue may fall further and create one set of breasts. The implants stay in there rightful pocket under the muscle and creates the second set of breasts.
Mondor’s Disease was first discovered by French Surgeon, Henri Mondor. The disease causes an inflammation of an epigastric vein of the thorax. It creates a bulging vein under the breast lobe on the abdomen and breast.
Dissatisfaction is also considered a great risk. The outcome may not be what the patient expected. The patient may begin to wish that they would not have gone bigger or they may not look or feel the way they expected them to.
Patients are sometimes unaware of any complications that may be occurring until days or sometimes months after the procedure. The FDA now requires surgeons to provide brochures about the risks of implants before the surgery. Critics feel that this isn’t sufficient because women who want the surgery have already made up their minds to do it and often do not heed the warnings of the surgery. It is important to know and understand all the risks that may occur with breast augmentation. Although some of the complications may be rare, it doesn’t mean that they won’t happen.
