Breast enhancement has become one of the most common reasons for women to seek cosmetic surgery, according to the Mayo Clinic. Women may consider breast enhancement in an effort to improve their self-image, particularly if they naturally have breasts of unequal size, if they have had breast surgery for cancer or if they experience a notable reduction in breast size after pregnancy. If you are considering breast enhancement you should be aware of complications that may call for repeat surgery or further medical attention.
Rupture/Deflation
Rupture may be the result of an injury or of cracks in the implant that develop over time. Fluid from a ruptured implant may leak into the breast and surrounding tissue. Saline implants lose their shape--either suddenly or gradually--when ruptured. Silicone gel implants may have a silent rupture, which requires an imaging test to detect. Sometimes, though, women with silicone implants will notice a change in breast size or shape, hard lumps, tingling, tenderness, swelling, burning or numbness. Whether or not a silicon implant rupture includes noticeable symptoms, the gel may escape the scar tissue that has formed around the implant and migrate away from the breast, causing lumps to form in the armpit, arm or chest wall. The gel may even migrate to organs such as the liver, making it difficult or impossible to remove, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Capsular Contracture
When the scar tissue that forms around an implant squeezes the implant it is called capsular contracture. In most serious cases, capsular contracture makes the breast hard--perhaps painfully hard--as well as abnormal looking. When the condition becomes advanced, it is remedied by an operation, but there is no guarantee capsular contracture will not recur.
Infection
Though infection commonly appears within days or weeks of breast enhancement surgery, it may occur at any time. When an infection does not respond to antibiotics, the implant will have to be removed until the infection is gone. Infections with an implant tend to be harder to treat than other types of infection, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Toxic shock syndrome, perhaps the most serious type of infection related to breast implants, is rare but life threatening.
Pain
Pain may be the result of any of the conditions above or from improper implant placement, size or surgical technique. Chest pain, a common complaint for women who have received implants, is not surprising considering the damage the nerves in the breast and the nipple that occur during implantation, according to the Institute of Medicine. Pain in the arm or under the shoulder blade may also be present after breast enhancement surgery. Pain often prompts implant removal or replacement.
Member Comments