As with any medical procedure, a breast augmentation can lead to issues and complications in some patients. Patients should talk with their cosmetic surgeons about any questions or concerns before the procedure. Disclosing medical conditions and medications and supplements a patient takes can minimize the risk of serious complications.
Additional Surgeries
Repeat surgery is one of the most common issues that breast augmentation patients face. Clinical trials studying saline-filled breast implants have found that as many as 25 percent of women required a second operation within five years of the initial surgery, according to the Mayo Clinic. At some point, your implants may need to be replaced or removed completely due to problems with the implant itself or other medical concerns.
Capsular Contracture
A capsular contracture occurs when scar tissue envelopes a breast implant. While some scar tissue is expected, too much of it can squeeze the implant and cause pain and aesthetic problems. Most women who develop a capsular contracture require surgery to remove or replace the implant.
Rupture
Breast implants can rupture, causing the material to leak into your breast tissue. This often happens when you suffer blunt-force trauma to the chest, but implants can rupture from small cracks that form in the material over time, as well.
Saline implants typically cause a noticeable change in the size and shape of your breast when they rupture. Silicone implants often cause no noticeable symptoms when they rupture. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that patients with silicone implants have an MRI to scan for ruptures three years after the initial surgery and every two years after that. Ruptures and leaks can lead to a deflated appearance that may cause wrinkling and sagging.
Infection
Some breast augmentation patients develop an infection around the surgical site. Antibiotics can help to clear up minor infections, though they do not always work. Some patients with infections must have the implants removed and wait six to 12 months before undergoing surgery to receive new implants, explains the Mayo Clinic.
Mammograms
Women who are at risk for breast cancer should be aware that breast implants can make it more difficult to detect cancer on a mammogram image. Mammogram patients with breast implants should seek a referral to a facility that has radiologists who are experienced with reading mammograms of women with implants, advises Mayo Clinic internist, Sandhya Pruthi, M.D. While there is a slight risk that a mammogram may put enough pressure on breast implants to rupture them, the benefits of the screening outweigh the risk of complications.
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