Any surgical procedure involves some risk. Luckily, breast augmentation has a long and successful record in which serious complications are infrequent. Since anesthesia is used, there is the potential for an adverse reaction though it is uncommon.
Saline Implants
Leaking, saltwater-filled, saline implants will typically show a sudden, rapid decrease in size as the saline is harmlessly absorbed by the body. Sometimes there may be a slow leak with a gradual decline in size but this is the exception. The deflated implant bag can often be felt within the breast tissues.
Silicone Implants
Signs and symptoms of Silicone implant leakage may include a sudden firmness or soreness, a misshapen contour, palpable lumps, or surface irregularities. The leaking silicone material may induce an inflammatory response, which can cause a tight capsular contracture.
A leaking silicone implant is difficult to detect because there is no loss of volume. This is especially true of modern Cohesive “Gummy Bear” implants which are highly viscous and maintain their shape. Older silicone implants are more liquid and silicone droplets may migrate into the surrounding tissues. Learn more about all three types of breast implants.
Even if the implant shell integrity has been compromised, the silicone contents will be contained by an intact breast capsule. This intracapsular leak is often “hidden” and difficult to diagnose.
Your routine mammogram will often provide the first clue. An additional ultrasound study will demonstrate frank rupture, while an MRI is typically needed to detect small and intracapsular silicone leakage. Remember that your MRI report includes a certain percentage of false positives and negatives. In the Tampa, Lakeland, and Brandon areas, your physician may be able to detect any problems as they occur.
A breast implant will plump up and restore the volume lost in an empty, deflated breast. If the associated breast sag is mild, meaning the nipples point forward and not down, and the areolae are still in the center of the breast, then the selected implant can fill the loose skin and a breast implant alone may work. In the Lakeland, Brandon, and Riverview areas, Dr. Shienbaum can help you determine if breast implants would suit your desires.
A breast lift procedure is usually necessary for large and pendulous breasts if the nipple points down, or if the areola is at the bottom of the breast and the nipple sits below the inframammary breast fold. An aesthetically pleasing breast shape is possible if there is a satisfactory breast volume.
Top Tampa plastic surgeons can also combine an implant placement with a breast lift. This procedure, called an augmentation mastopexy, may be necessary if there is insufficient existing breast volume to construct a full, round, well-shaped breast.
Is a natural breast augmentation using fat better than breast implants? Having your own natural tissue injected for breast enlargement sounds so intuitively appropriate. A one or two cup size increase may be possible without the worry of implant rupture or capsular contracture. Fat transfer is already widely used for breast reconstruction, so why not breast augmentation?
Well, there are risks. Only a certain percentage of the fat cells ultimately survive. The remaining cells may cause inflammation, lumpiness, fatty cysts or calcium granulomas. Calcium deposits in the breast raise the suspicion of breast cancer and may lead to unnecessary biopsy. Think twice if you have a family history of breast cancer.
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