There are many complications that may occur either during or after any breast implant operation, including, but not limited to, some of the following.
As far as the ability to successfully breast feed after receiving breast implants, one study reported that 64% of women with implants with were unable to breast feed compared to 7% without implants. It is thought that the periareolar incision site may significantly reduce the ability to successfully breast feed.
There is a high likelihood that women who have received breast implant surgery will need to have additional surgery at some point to replace or remove their implants. Problems such as deflation, capsular contracture, infection, shifting, and calcium deposits can require removal of the implants. Most women choose to have their implants replaced. For those who do not, cosmetically unacceptable dimpling and/or puckering of the breast may result.
Pain of varying intensity and duration may occur and persist following breast implant surgery. In addition, improper size, placement, surgical technique, or capsular contracture may result in pain associated with nerve entrapment or interference with muscle motion. You should tell your doctor about severe pain.
As with any surgery, infection can occur during or after the breast implant operation. Infections with an implant present are harder to treat than infections in normal body tissues. If an infection does not respond to antibiotics, the implant may have to be removed. In this event you can choose to have another implant surgery once your infection has been eliminated.
Breast implants may delay or hinder the early detection of breast cancer either by hiding suspicious wounds, injuries, or tumors or by making it more difficult to include them in the mammogram image. Implants increase the difficulty of both taking and reading mammograms. Mammography requires breast compression that could contribute to implant rupture.
For these reasons you may wish to undergo a preoperative mammogram and another mammogram six months to one year after implantation to establish a baseline. It is essential that you tell your mammography technologist that you have an implant before the procedure. The technologist can use special techniques to minimize the possibility of rupture and to get the best possible views of your breast tissue. These special techniques require more x-ray views, therefore exposing you to more radiation. The benefit of the mammogram in finding cancer outweighs the risk of the additional x-rays.
In rare instances, Toxic Shock Syndrome has been noted in women after breast implant surgery. Toxic Shock Syndrome is a life-threatening condition. Symptoms include sudden fever, vomiting, diarrhea, fainting, dizziness, and/or sunburn-like rash. In this event, you should see a doctor immediately for diagnosis and treatment.
In ALL cases of undergoing breast implant surgery, it is STRONGLY recommended that the lady consult her OWN doctor, AS WELL AS the consultant surgeon, and ask as many questions as necessary to answer EVERY ONE of her concerns. Asking for a "Do over" just will not cut it.
