Breast Surgery Complications

Any surgery involves risks and complications, and breast augmentation surgery or corrective breast surgery is no different. In this article, you can weigh the pros and cons of having surgery by reviewing the risks and complications of surgery.

Risks of Breast Enlargement
There are some risks associated with having breast implants. Even the best surgeon cannot perform perfect surgery every time. For your health and safety, you should know of the risks of getting breast implants so you can decide if the risks outweigh the benefits.

This is a decision only you can make, with your doctor's input and advice.

• Infection - After any surgery where incisions are made in the body, a risk of infection exists. Proper care for your breasts and coverings following surgery may minimize this risk.
• Capsular Contraction - This is probably the most common complication plastic surgeons see when dealing with patients. When you have surgery of any kind, scar tissue naturally occurs around the area a procedure is performed. In the case of capsular contracture, scar tissue may form around the breast implant and cause it to harden. This may result in changes in your breast tissue, and changes in the shape of your newly formed breasts. This risk often requires another surgery to correct.
• Sensation Loss - Some women report they have less feeling in their breasts, specifically around their nipples after surgery. This may result from damage to the nerves, and may be permanent (although for some women this is a temporary side effect of breast surgery).
• Ripples - Many women with little breast tissue that receive saline implants develop rippling. What happens is with movement, sometimes the breasts may appear to ripple. This risk is less common for women with more breast tissue to begin with, or women that opt for silicone implants.
• Leaking - Sometimes an implant ruptures or leaks, resulting in the need for another breast augmentation surgery. Most women however, will have to have more than one breast augmentation surgery during their lifetime, as breast augmentation is not a permanent fix for small or deformed breasts.

Some other relatively rare risks of surgery include abnormal or harsh red scarring, sometimes called keloid scarring. Some women with this condition develop very angry looking red and raised scars around the area where the incision is made to insert the breast implant.

Another uncommon risk is of hematoma, where blood collects underneath the implant and skin resulting from surgery.

Other Breast Complications
Other complications that may arise from surgery include a condition called "symmastia," where the breasts look like they are too close to each other. Usually if this happens you will have to have another surgery, increasing your risk for additional complications, to correct the look of your breasts.

As noted above, one of the risks of breast surgery is also contraction of the capsule or implant. This can occur in various stages. Some women develop only mild or Grade I capsular contraction, where the breast still appears normal and soft. In severe cases however, as with a Grade IV contracture, your breast may become hard and painful, and may even change shapes.

What can you do to minimize the risks and complications of surgery? Your best bet is education. The more you learn about breast augmentation surgery before having it, the less likely you are to panic if complications do arise.

Most qualified surgeons are capable of managing complications effectively, so keep this in mind when looking for a doctor. Make sure you work with someone you feel is competent, and then make sure you ask them what his or her policies are if complications do arise. This is the best way to protect your body from severe risk or injury.