Breast augmentation is the most popular procedure performed in aesthetics surgery to enhance the breasts’ shape and volume. However, surgery does not come without risks. Even when employing the safest techniques and implants, complications can still arise.
Capsular Contracture
Firstly, a common complication is capsular contracture. There are no definitive causes for capsule formation, but it is the body’s natural response to form scar tissue upon introduction of a foreign object. But some risk factors include, sustaining prior breast trauma, autoimmune disorders, infection, or over the muscle implant placement, etc. Ultimately, it is patient dependent.
The excessive fibrous tissue may harden around the implant causing symptoms of firmness, tightness, pain, high positioning, and misshaping.
If caught at an early stage, we can try to prevent capsule formation with medications. However, severe cases may require surgery to remedy physical pain and correct cosmetic defects.
Capsular contracture podcast:
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery Podcast
Implant Rupture
Another frequently seen complication is implant rupture. There are many iterations of saline and silicone implants. Any pose potential to deteriorate over time and rupture. Rupturing of saline implants is most noticeable due to deflation of the breast. The saline solution will pose no harm within the body, however it is important to remove the shell. The degree of severity of ruptured silicone implants may vary. This ranges from localized leakage of the more cohesive gels to formation of silicone granulomas that spread beyond the breasts to local lymph nodes. Generally, unlike other complications, silicone implant ruptures may be “silent” and more difficult to detect. Radiologic imaging, typically MRI, is the gold standard for diagnostic confirmation.
Beyond aesthetic reasons, ruptured implants should be removed to mitigate future malignancies. It is at the patient’s complete discretion to replace the implants. If the patient decides to proceed with replacement, we offer newer generation silicone implants which provide a natural feel and reduced risk of rupture complications.
Breast implant removal and replacement podcast:
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery Podcast
Additionally, many patients also present with:
– Rippling – the outline of the implant is visible through the skin
– Double bubble – natural breast tissue falls below the inframammary fold, creating two distinct layer
– Bottoming out – the implant drops below natural breast tissue and violates the inframammary fold.
– Symmastia – this is a rare occurrence which leads to formation of a “uniboob”
At Dr. Jay Calvert Plastic Surgery, we work as a team with our patients. We firmly believe that the best outcomes in breast augmentation can only be achieved through a careful pre-operative planning of the surgery, thorough understanding of available implants, and surgical finesse.