Breast Implants

Are Breast Implants Safe? Risks And Complications To Know

Breast implants are one of the most popular cosmetic procedures Worldwide. They are meant for women who wish to make their breasts larger. However, women who want to rebuild their breasts after cancer or injury can also undergo breast implant surgery. 

Most of the implants are either tear or round in shape and are filled with saline fluid or silicone gel

But are breast implants safe? Advancements in technology have improved the safety of the breast implant procedure. They are FDA-approved and generally safe for women. However, a patient should be aware of a few long-term complications before having breast implant surgery.

What Are Breast Implants?

Breast implants are artificial devices inserted into your breasts to make them look large. These artificial devices are silicone shells filled with saline water or silicone gel. Breast implants last for around 10 years. It may get rupture with time. Women may experience changes in breast size or shape or sometimes no symptoms when the breast implant ruptures.

Types Of Breast Implants

There are usually two types of breast implants.

1 . Saline Breast Implants

Saline breast implants are filled with sterile saline water either before or during the surgery. They last for more than 10 years and give a round and firm look to your breasts.

Saline implants are less expensive compared to silicone breast implants. Whenever it ruptures then, your body will absorb the saline water, and it will not cause any harm to the body.

2. Silicone Breast Implants

Silicone breast implants are filled with silicone gel, which is absolutely safe for the human body. They are soft and gummy and give your breasts a natural feel. Silicone gel lasts for around 20 years. They are available in various firmness levels. The firmer one has a fuller appearance, while the softer one has a teardrop appearance.

Silicone breast implants last for a longer time compared to saline implants. But when they rupture, then they form lumps on your breast area. However, they will not cause any harm to your body. It's difficult for a surgeon to remove the lumps if it travels outside the breast area.

The choice between saline implants or silicone breast implants purely depends on personal preferences. However, women with less body fat can go for saline implants. But women who want to do breast implants after mastectomy should go for silicone implants.

Why Do People Have Breast Implants?

Most people have breast implants mainly because they want to make their breasts large. They want to make breasts large because of the following reasons.

1. Restore Their Previous Breast Size

Breast size can be reduced after pregnancy, weight loss or aging. 

2. Breast Asymmetry

Breast asymmetry means a noticeable change in the shape or position of the breast. It can happen due to various reasons, such as genetics, hormonal changes and breastfeeding.

3. Restoring Breasts After Mastectomy

Women suffering from severe health conditions or cancer have their breasts removed. Breast implants are one of the best ways to restore their feminine features.

4. Increase Confidence

Breast implants can boost confidence in women.

What Is The Difference Between Breast Augmentation And Breast Implant?

Breasts continue to develop in women till their teenage or late 20s. So plastic surgeons recommend saline breast implants at least when a woman is 18 years old. 

You are recommended for silicone breast implants, at least when you are above 22 years old.

Your health provider will ask about your complete medical history before placing breast implants. Simultaneously, he may ask you certain questions like reasons for placing breast implants, your expectations and confirm whether your friend or spouse is encouraging breast implant surgery. 

Your healthcare provider will perform a complete health check to ensure that you are ready for the surgery. 

He will even measure your health and weight to determine the correct breast implant size.

For example, a woman with broader shoulders or hips should be recommended for a larger implant. Women who have normal body weight are not recommended for larger implants, as they can cause pain in their hips and shoulders.

Breast implant size also matters a lot. You can compare it to buying clothes. You try clothes in the changing room and see how they look on you before buying them. The same thing you can do for the breast implant. 

You can ask your healthcare provider about the sample for breast implant so that you can put it under your shorts and look in the mirror at how you will look with such an implant. You can check various sizes (teardrop, round), locations and textures of breast implants and then decide the best one. 

There are two locations where your healthcare provider can place the breast implants. The first one is submuscular implant placement. In this type, the surgeon will insert the breast implant under the pectoral muscle. This type of implant placement requires more insertions. Hence, the patient will take a longer time to recover. 

However, there are also some advantages to the submuscular implant, like there is an extremely low risk of implant rupture. The implants are even better covered in this type of placement. So women with naturally small breasts do not have to worry about the implant ripping. It gives women a more natural appearance. The mammogram can even better view the posterior aspect of the breast.

The second one is subglandular implant placement. Here, the surgeon places the implant over the pectoral tissue but beneath the breast tissue. It is a less invasive surgery, and hence, the patient quickly recover from it. However, it has a few disadvantages, such as not giving women a natural appearance. The implant placement creates an obstruction. Hence, mammograms will have difficulty in detecting breast cancer.

Always take recommendations from your surgeon before deciding on the final one.

What Happens During The Breast Implant Procedure?

You will be given general anesthesia before the breast implant surgical procedure so that you will not feel pain. The surgeon will then mark the incision sites and implant placement on the breasts. He will clean the surgical site with an antiseptic solution to minimize infection risk.

The surgeon then makes the incision based on the plan. The incision can be made in any of the four areas of the body listed below.

• Periareolar

The incision is made on the outer edge of the areola.

• Inframammary

It is one of the most common methods used in breast augmentation surgery. The surgeon makes an incision on the natural crease, i.e., under the breast, for placing the implants.

• Transaxillary

Your surgeon makes an incision in the armpit. 

• Transumbilical

The surgeon makes an incision on the belly button.

All the surgical incision methods listed have pros and cons. Weigh the pros and cons, and then decide with your healthcare provider which one is best.

The surgeon will then create a pocket for implant placement. There are usually two locations for implant placement: submuscular and subglandular.

The surgeon will then carefully insert the saline or silicone implant into the pocket and close the incision.

Recovery Time After The Breast Implant Surgical Procedure

The first few days after the breast implant surgery are quite challenging. You will feel pain at the surgical site. There may be bleeding at the incision site. The breasts may get swollen or bruised within these days.

Well, your pain will decrease after a few days of the surgery. Take pain relief drugs as prescribed by your doctor to reduce pain and discomfort associated with the surgical procedure. 

You can do certain light activities or return to your desk work 7-14 days after the surgery. But dont indulge in any strenuous activities like running or lifting heavy objects immediately. Consult your doctor, and then you can try these strenuous activities.

You will recover completely after 6-8 weeks of the surgical procedure.

What Happens After The Breast Implant Procedure?

Your surgeon will wrap your breast with a compressive brand, and you will be shifted to the recovery room.

Once you wake up, your breasts may feel sore, and your chest may feel tight. Your healthcare provider will continuously monitor your overall health. You will be discharged from the hospital once your doctor ensures that you will no longer require monitoring.

You will recover after 6-8 weeks of the breast implant surgical procedure.

Potential Risks And Complications Of Breast Implant Surgical Procedure

1. Breast Implant Complications

There are usually two types of breast implant complications: short and long-term complications. Short-term complications can include bleeding, while long-term complications include implant hardening.

2. Additional Surgeries

Breast implants last for 10-20 years. However, they may require additional surgeries, such as implant removal, removal of scar tissues or repositioning of the implant.

3. Breastfeeding Complications

Most women do not have breastfeeding complications after having the surgery. But still, some women find issues while breastfeeding their babies. It can adversely affects the production of milk from the breast of a woman after implant surgery.

4. Breast Lift Surgery

Breast implant surgery in some women can decrease the size but dont lift it properly. If you want to increase the size of your breast but do not want it to sag, then combine breast lift surgery with implant surgery.

5. Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma(BIA-ALCL)

Women with breast implant surgery are at risk of BIA-ALCL. It is not breast cancer but is lymphoma, which adversely affects the tissue next to the breast implants. It is more commonly seen in textured shell breast implants.

6. Capsular Contracture

Capsular contracture involves the hardening of the breast near the implant. The hardening tightens the tissue, and you will feel more pain in your breast areas.

There are usually a few grades of capsular contracture, which are listed below.

• Grade 1: Your breasts will remain soft, and you will feel natural.
• Grade 2: Your rest will look natural, but you will feel a bit firm.
• Grade 3: Your breast is firm and looks abnormal.
• Grade 4: Your breast is abnormal, and you will have pain.

Grade 3 and Grade 4 are severe and require surgery once again. Your surgeon may remove the implant or reposition the implant. You can have capsular contraction once again after the surgery.

The FDA has not yet cleared up ways to reduce the incidence of capsular contraction in women.

7. Rupture And Deflation

Rupture involves a hole in the breast implant. The possible causes of breast implants are as follows.

• Capsular contracture
• Damage by surgical instruments
• Implant aging
• Overfilling or underfilling of saline fluid.
• Physical stress like trauma
• Damage during the surgical procedure

How To Minimize The Risk Of A Breast Implant Surgical Procedure?

1. Choose A Certified Plastic Surgeon

You should choose a skilled and experienced plastic surgeon. He should have years of experience in performing breast implant surgery.

2. Regular Medical Checkup

Regular medical checkups like MRI or ultrasound screening can detect silent breast implant ruptures.

3. Monitor Breasts Regularly

You need to monitor your breasts regularly. Look for changes like swelling, lumps or pain and inform your doctor immediately.

How Medical Tourism Can Benefit Breast Implant Surgical Procedure?

Healthcare costs are increasing Worldwide. Patients get excellent medical facilities in the U.S. and U.K., but the breast implant surgical cost is quite high. You have to even wait for a longer time to receive the required medical care. Longer waiting times can even adversely affect the health of the patient. So, in such cases, medical tourism is the best option. 

Countries like India have world-class hospitals. You will find highly skilled, experienced and Internationally trained plastic surgeons in these hospitals. 

The hospitals are even equipped with advanced technologies. You can receive the latest and modern breast implant surgical procedure at affordable costs. You do not have to wait for a longer time to receive the required medical care.

Some hospitals and Clinics even provide all-inclusive medical tourism packages for International patients. The packages include surgery fees, hospital stay, hotel accommodation and interpreter services.

Racure Healthcare is one of the best medical tourism Companies in India. It arranges video consultations with plastic surgeons. The patient can share the reports and discuss her health condition before arrival at the destination. The Company even makes flight booking arrangements and provides visa assistance so that a patient can travel to India without any stress. You can visit its website to learn more about its services.

Conclusion

Breast implant surgery is one of the safest and most effective ways to enhance the appearance of your breasts. However, it comes with certain complications like rupture and additional surgeries. 

Well choosing a skilled and experienced Plastic surgeon and monitoring your breast from time to time can decrease the risk associated with the surgery.

Racure Healthcare is a popular medical tourism Company in India. It provides travel, logistical and treatment-related services to International patients. The Company appoints a personal care executive who will stay with the patient from her arrival until her treatment is complete.