Silicone breast implants can be used to augment breast size or replace breast tissue in women who have had mastectomies or traumatic injuries. While these implants can improve self-esteem and increase confidence, there are several harmful effects of silicone breast implants that patients should consider before undergoing implant surgery.
Rupture
With time and wear, silicone breast implants can break or rupture. This can cause an implant to deflate, which changes the size and shape of the affected breast. Mammography technicians need to be particularly careful about how much pressure is applied to the breast when a woman has a silicone implant. According to the Food and Drug Administration, mammography was responsible for the rupture of 58 silicone implants between 1992 and 2002. If a breast implant is not replaced after it deflates, the breast may become puckered or dimpled.
Loss of Sensation
Some people who have breast implants experience a loss of sensation in the breast and nipple. This is because of damage to the nerve endings in these areas. Because this complication can be related to the surgical technique used, it is important to carefully research the credentials and experience of a plastic surgeon before getting silicone breast implants. Loss of sensation may be temporary but could be permanent.
Difficulty Breastfeeding
Women with silicone implants may have difficulty breastfeeding their children, especially if the milk ducts are damaged during surgery. Surgery can also reduce nipple sensitivity or damage the nerves around the nipple. Because these nerves are responsible for telling the brain to release hormones responsible for milk production, this damage can make it difficult to breastfeed. The National Research Center for Women and Families indicates that any type of breast surgery, including the placement of silicone implants, makes it three times more likely that a woman will have an insufficient milk supply and find it difficult to breastfeed.
Difficulty Screening for Cancer
Mammography is made more difficult by the presence of silicone implants. The implants can hide suspicious lesions or breast tumors, making cancer detection difficult. Women with implants should inform technicians before mammograms or breast X-rays are done. During a mammogram on a woman with silicone implants, technicians have to take Eklund views in addition to the regular views of the breast. These views make it easier to detect breast changes or tumors.
Breast Changes
Breast changes may occur after silicone implants are placed. Women with silicone implants may experience breast pain, bruising, inflammation, nipple changes, irritation, redness, scarring and wrinkling of the breast. Asymmetry may occur if the implant is not sized properly. Calcium deposits can form in the breast tissue, making the tissue denser and more difficult to examine. In addition to these breast changes, the chest wall may become deformed during the surgery needed to place the implants.
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