Breast Implants - Possible Complications

Breast Implant Potential Complications

Breast Impant Complications - Undergoing any surgical procedure may involve the risk of complications such as the effects of anesthesia, infection, swelling, redness, bleeding, and pain. In addition, there are potential complications specific to breast implants.(For complete information on the complications associated with Saline Filled surgery click here.)
These complications include:

Deflation/Rupture

Breast implants deflate when the saline solution leaks either through an unsealed or damaged valve or through a break in the implant shell. Implant deflation can occur immediately or slowly over a period of days and is noticed by loss of size or shape of your breast. Some breast implants deflate (or rupture) in the first few months after being implanted and some deflate after several years. Causes of deflation include damage by surgical instruments during surgery, overfilling or underfilling of the implant with saline solution, capsular contracture, closed capsulotomy, stresses such as trauma or intense physical manipulation, excessive compression during mammographic imaging, umbilical incision placement, and unknown/unexplained reasons. You should also be aware that the breast implant may wear out over time and deflate/rupture. Deflated requires additional surgery to remove and to possibly replace the breast implant.

Capsular Contracture

The scar tissue or capsule that normally forms around the area may tighten and squeeze the implant and is called capsular contracture. Capsular contracture may be more common following infection, hematoma, and seroma. It is also more common with subglandular placement (behind the mammary gland and on top of the chest). Symptoms range from mild firmness and mild discomfort to severe pain, distorted shape, palpability of the breast, and/or movement of the implant. Additional surgery is needed in cases where pain and/or firmness is severe. This surgery ranges from removal of the breast implant capsule tissue to removal and possibly replacement of the breast implant itself. Capsular contracture may happen again after these additional surgeries.

Pain

Pain of varying intensity and duration may occur and persist following 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 surgeon about severe pain.

Additional Surgeries

You should know that there is a high chance that you will need to have additional surgery at some point to replace or remove the implant. Also, problems such as deflation, capsular contracture, infection, shifting, and calcium deposits can require removal of the implants. Many women decide to have the breast implants replaced, but some women do not. If you choose not to, you may have cosmetically unacceptable dimpling and/or puckering of the breast following removal of the breast implant.

Dissatisfaction with Cosmetic Results

Dissatisfying results such as wrinkling, asymmetry, implant displacement (shifting), incorrect size, unanticipated shape, implant palpability, scar deformity, hypertrophic (irregular, raised scar) scarring, and/or sloshing may occur. Careful surgical planning and technique can minimize but not always prevent such results.

Infection

Infection can occur with any surgery. Most infections resulting from surgery appear within a few days to weeks after the operation. However, infection is possible at any time after surgery. Infections with a breast implant present are harder to treat than infections in normal body tissues. If an infection does not respond to antibiotics, the breast implant may have to be removed, and another breast implant may be placed after the infection is resolved. In rare instances, Toxic Shock Syndrome has been noted in women after surgery, and it is a life-threatening condition. Symptoms include sudden fever, vomiting, diarrhea, fainting, dizziness, and/or sunburn-like rash. A surgeon should be seen immediately for diagnosis and treatment for this condition.

Hematoma/Seroma

Hematoma is a collection of blood inside a body cavity, and a seroma is a collection of the watery portion of the blood (in this case, around the breast implant or around the incision). Postoperative hematoma and seroma may contribute to infection and/or capsular contracture. Swelling, pain, and bruising may result. If a hematoma occurs, it will usually be soon after surgery, however this can also occur at any time after injury to the breast. While the body absorbs small hematomas and seromas, large ones will require the placement of surgical drains for proper healing. A small scar can result from surgical draining. Implant deflation/rupture can occur from surgical draining if damage to the breast implant occurs during the draining procedure.