Breast Feeding

Usually, breast implants should not interfere with the process of breast-feeding. In fact, many breast implant patients can successfully breast feed years after they got their implants. For those unfortunate few, there may be times when breast implants may result in difficulties while breast-feeding.

The best way to deal with it is to actually inform your plastic surgeon beforehand that you have plans in the future to breast feed. Therefore, this information will impact the surgical technique he takes and ensure that there will be no problems when you decide to have children breast-feeding from your breasts.

Mammography

One worrying risk that breast augmentation may result in is that the silicon or saline breast implants may actually impeded breast cancer detection. The mammography process requires the use of X-ray or ultrasound but the implants may sometimes block off the signals, thereby hiding suspicious tumours or lesions within your breasts that when it is found too late.

With this side effect in mind, many clinics that provide mammography will take special notice of breast-implant patients. In order to get a better and more accurate profile of your breasts, more views are required which lead to more time needed for imaging. Hence, the next time you schedule a mammography, remember to inform the receptionist of your special situation so that more time can be scheduled for your scan.

Loss of Sensation

Sometimes after breast surgery, implant patients may encounter a sudden loss of sensation in the nipple and breast areas. This is caused by damage to nerve endings in the breast and nipple. More often than not, this loss of sensation is temporary. But in more severe cases, it can be permanent.

There is no cure for this except that, as a preventive measure, make sure you have the most appropriate implant and surgical technique minimize this complication.

Leaking of Breast Implant Material

Recent studies have shown that the leaking or leaching of breast implant materials silicon and saline water may lead to harmful effect. The FDA, on the other hand, have stated clearly that the implant materials approved by them have not shown to contain any of these harmful effects.

Rupture

It is impossible for implants to last forever. It is common for implants to suddenly break, rupture or deflate. While many of these ruptures are consequences of natural old age of the person, aging of the implant, excessive compression of the breast and even trauma to the breast. The most obvious effect of a botched plastic surgery is the difference in the size and shape of the breast modification.

Although there are risks involved, you can minimized the risk by seeking help only from professional plastic surgeon or you could try out less invasive methods such as breast cream or breast enlargement pills first.

Therefore, during the initial consultation, you have to discuss with your surgeon your goals and expectations, the size and shape you are looking for and your feelings about the procedure.

Type of Breast Implants

One of the first decisions you have to make is the type of breast implant to use. The type you select is decided based your personality, your body (anatomy) and your expected results. Breast implants come in a large range. For implant surface, there are smooth or textured breast implants. The implant shape can be either round or shaped. The profile of the implant is dependent on how far you want the implant to protrude. The implant size is based on the volume you want, usually ranging from 120 to 850 cc. Two common implant fillers are saline or silicone.

Surface of the Implants

The surface of the implant is vital in that implants with textured surfaces were engineered so that the likelihood of capsular contraction is diminished. Sadly, one major flaw of textured implants that, depending on the placement of the implant, has a higher probability of being visible through the skin.

Silicon Fillers vs. Saline Fillers

Saline breast implants use sterile saline solution to fill the implants. Silicon breast implants are usually filled with silicone oil, cured large silicon, and a small amount of uncured silicones. It is important to note that both silicone and saline implants have an outer layer that is composed of silicone-rubber.

One benefit of having saline breast implants is that, should the implant rupture, the saline can be easily absorbed into the body. On the other hand, the silicone gel that leaks outside of the shell after rupture cannot. Saline breast implant ruptures are quite obvious and noticeable as the implant flattens. But this is not the consequence when using silicone breast implants.

Breast Implant Placement

Breast implants can be placed behind the chest tissues in three primary areas. These are the subglandular implant placement, the partial submuscular implant placement, and the complete submuscular implant placement. Of course, the optimum implant placement will be based on the size of your implants and your individual anatomical features. The subglandular implant placement has the breast implant put under the breast issue, just above the muscles in the chest. The partial submuscular implant placement imports the implant under the breast tissue and partially under the pectoral and other chest muscles. Lastly, the complete submuscular implant placement places the breast implant under the pectoral and chest muscles.

Implant Incisions

Breast implants are inserted under the breast tissue via strategically placed but inconspicuous incisions. As this surgical procedure is usually performed for cosmetic and vanity reasons, the incision location will usually be well hidden. There are four main types of incisions. They are the inframammary incision, the periareolar incision, the transaxillary incision and the TUBA incision.

Certainly skilled, experienced surgeons can lessen risks of complications tremendously but it is important, on your part, to observe strict adherence to the advice and instructions of your surgeon. But no matter how skilled or experienced your surgeon is, risks of complications are very real threats.

Infection

After a few days or week of surgery, it is likely that infection of the wound may occur. There is also a possibility, though very rare, that infection arises years after breast surgery when the cuts and incisions have completely healed.

Usually, your surgeon will give you the necessary medications so that the infection will quickly subside. But sometimes, the implant has to be removed until the infection subsides. The implant can then be replaced at a later time.

Bottoming Out

This is a complication involving the slipping of the implant such that it rides too low in the chest tissue. This may result in the nipple to point upwards in an artificial manner.

Re-entering the wound and re-creating the original pocket can fix the problem of bottoming out.

Symmastia

Symmastia is the result whereby the two breasts appear to be situated unusually close to each other. This complication can only be corrected by a separate surgical procedure. As the common cause of this complication is the wrong size of implants, once larger implants are replaced with smaller ones, the problem will be solved.

After this separate surgery, known as the revision breast augmentation surgery, is completed, a special support bra and other propping bandages will be required to provide the cleavage the necessary support until after the tissues heal.

Capsular Contraction

Not unlike how the body acts with any other foreign object, the body will have to create a capsule around the breast implant to start the healing process. This formation of a capsule is a normal effect of other invasive surgeries. The problem arises when the capsule closes or contracts around the foreign implant itself. Such a closure is known as a capsular contraction. This contraction usually happens a few months after surgery. The result of capsular contraction is that because of the compression of the implant, the implant is caused to look distorted. In more serious cases, the implant can feel hard and out-of shape.

The severity of the capsular contraction can usually be ranked in a number of ways:

Grade 1: The breast is normally soft and natural

Grade 2: The breast feels a little firm but looks natural

Grade 3: The breast feels firm and may appear distorted

Grade 4: The breast feels hard, sometimes painful and may appear distorted

The way to treat capsular contraction is to remove the implant or replace it at a later date. Breast Augmentation Surgery do have its risks and complications but the results are almost instant. Alternatives will include breast creams, breast enhancement creams, breast enlargement pills or natural breast augmentation.

Some additional breast augmentation costs that may raise the average cost include hospital or surgical facility fees, post-surgery facilities, prescriptions for medication, anaesthesia fees for surgery, medical tests and other miscellaneous costs for breast creams etc,

Furthermore, the fee for surgeons and the other related charges (seen above) will vary and change from region to region and practice to practice. For example, there are a few different types of surgeons that you require during the surgery ranging from the cosmetic surgeons to anaesthesiologists and the fees of each type is not standard. In addition to that, surgery facilities are not kept constant across the nation. In larger cities or more affluent neighbourhoods, the costs and prices for these services are likely to be much higher than one that is not.

Lastly, just like how every body is different, every breast augmentation process will be unique. Depending on the needs of your body and the requirements of the surgical procedure, there might be varying costs in terms of the type of implant chosen, the way it is placed and the level of complexity for each procedure.

Before you decide on which clinic or which surgeon you want, do approach a range of clinics and surgeons so you will know what the average price is in your region. Be sure to ask each individual clinic and surgeon what fees will be included and what processes do those fees cover. Then ask the clinic to quote an estimated price for the overall cost of the procedure from beginning to after surgery treatments. With all these costs in mind, compare which one has the best service, treatment and cost balance before signing anything. You should be well informed of all costs necessary and details of the entire procedure before attempting anything in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises that might ruin the whole process.

Also, do note that as breast augmentation is an elective cosmetic procedure, insurance companies are generally unwilling to cover such costs. So before considering breast augmentation surgery, do check with your insurance agent if there are any policies for patients with breast implants.

At the end of the day, the experience of the surgeon in breast augmentation, the reputation of clinic and your comfort with your surgeon, as well as the rest of the staff are all equally, if not more, important than the final cost of the surgery. The peace of mind, happy results and satisfied expectations are priceless.