Breast Implants - Possible Complications

Breast Implant Potential Complications

Changes in Nipple and Breast Sensation

Feeling in the nipple and breast can increase or decrease after breast implant surgery. The range of changes varies from intense sensitivity to no feeling in the nipple or breast following surgery. Changes in feeling can be temporary or permanent and may affect your sexual response or your ability to nurse a baby.

Breast Feeding

At this time it is not known if a small amount of silicone may diffuse (pass through) from the saline-filled breast implant silicone shell and may find its way into breast milk. If this occurs, it is not known what effect it may have on the nursing infant. Although there are no current methods for detecting silicone levels in breast milk, a study measuring silicon (one component in silicone) levels did not indicate higher levels in breast milk from women with silicone-filled gel breast implants when compared to women without breast implants. With respect to the ability to successfully breast feed after breast implantation, one study reported up to 64% of women with breast implants who were unable to breast feed compared to 7% without breast implants. The periareolar incision site may significantly reduce the ability to successfully breast feed.

Calcium Deposits in the Tissue Around the Breast Implant

Deposits of calcium can be seen on mammograms and can be mistaken for possible cancer, resulting in additional surgery for biopsy and/or removal of the implant to distinguish the calcium deposits from cancer.

Delayed Wound Healing

In some cases, the incision site takes longer to heal than normally.

Extrusion

Unstable or compromised tissue covering and/or interruption of wound healing may result in extrusion, which is when the breast implant comes through the skin.

Necrosis

Necrosis is the formation of dead tissue around the breast implant. This may prevent wound healing and require surgical correction and/or breast implant removal. Permanent scar deformity may occur following necrosis. Factors associated with increased necrosis include infection, use of steroids in the surgical pocket, smoking, chemotherapy/radiation, and excessive heat or cold therapy.

Breast Tissue Atrophy/Chest Wall Deformity

The pressure of the breast implant may cause the breast tissue to thin and shrink. This can occur while breast implants are still in place or following breast implant removal without replacement. In addition to these complications, there have been concerns with certain systemic diseases, of which you should be aware.

Connective Tissue Disease

Concern over the association of breast implants to the development of autoimmune or connective tissue diseases, such as lupus, scleroderma, or rheumatoid arthritis, was raised because of cases reported in the literature with small numbers of women with implants. A review of several large epidemiological studies of women with and without implants indicates that these diseases are no more common in women with implants than those in women without implants. However, a lot of women with breast implants believe that their implants caused a connective tissue disease.

Cancer

Published studies indicate that breast cancer is no more common in women with breast implants than those without breast implants.

Second Generation Effects

There have been concerns raised regarding potential damaging effects on children born of mothers with breast implants. A review of the published literature on this issue suggests that the information is insufficient to draw definitive conclusions.