Breast Implants Talk

Like any surgery, infections can develop after a successful breast implant. Most infections happen a few days or a week after the surgery. So be extremely careful during that time. Also remember that infections can develop any time after the surgery. Unlike infections on most surgeries, implants related infection is harder to treat because it is not part of the normal body tissues. If the infection doesn’t respond to antibiotics, the implants will have to be removed. Once the doctor solves the infection, another implants will need to be placed.

In rare cases, there is a life threatening condition, called toxic shock syndrome, can happen after a breast implant. Symptoms include sudden fever, vomiting, diarrhea, fainting, dizziness, and/or sunburn-like rash. You need to see your doctor immediately if you notice any of these.

Source: FDA

As younger and younger women are considering breast implants. We get many questions such as the age limit. The FDA has the following age limits:

• You need to be 22 in order to have silicone gel-filled breast implants
• You need to be 18 to get saline-filled breast implants for augmentation

However, these are required by the FDA, it doesn’t mean that you should consider them at such young age. There are, many risks associated with breast implants. You could experience breast pain, changes in nipples, and even rupture with deflation for saline-filled implants.

Source: FDA

The age of women who want  breast implants is getting younger and younger. Many child bearing age women or mothers who just had babies are considering them. Before you talk to any doctor, be sure you do enough research to find out the pros and cons, the risks of breast implants.

To start, breast implants are medical devices that are implanted either under your breast tissue or under the chest muscle for breast augmentation or reconstruction. If you are still in child bearing age, talk to the doctor about feature breastfeeding problems that might occur. No matter what kind of ads you hear or see, make sure they’re approved by the FDA. Currently there are only two major types of implants: saline-filled and silicone gel-filled.

Well, we all hear that a lot in the media. Women of all ages now are talking about breast implants. Girls as young as 18 are considering getting breast implants. But what is it exactly? If you know how it’s done, you probably will think twice about getting one. Keep in mind, breast implants are medical devices. They are not manicure or pedicure. The surgeon implants a special material either under your breast tissue or under the chest muscle for breast augmentation or reconstruction.

There are mainly two major types: saline-filled and silicone gel-filled. You might hear or read somewhere that new stuff is coming to the market. Be aware of these commercials. Because there are only two kinds of materials that are approved by the FDA: saline-filled and silicone gel-filled.

Saline-filled breast implants are silicone shells that are either pre-filled or filled with saline during surgery, and some of these allow for adjustments of the filler volume after surgery. Silicone gel-filled breast implants are silicone shells pre-filled with silicone gel. Breast implants vary in profile, size, and shell surface. You might wonder that shell surface is. It means smooth or textured surface. No one knows how would anyone prefer textured surface. But that what it is.

Source: FDA

Some important factors to consider include:

• Breast implants do not last forever. If you decide to get breast implants, you will likely need additional surgeries on your breasts over your lifetime due to complications or unsatisfactory cosmetic outcomes.
• Many of the changes to your breasts following implantation cannot be undone. If you later choose to have your implants removed and not replaced, your breasts will not change back to the way they looked before your implant surgery. You may have permanent dimpling, puckering, wrinkling, or other cosmetic changes.
• When you have your implants replaced (revision), your risk of complications increases compared to your first (primary) surgery.
• Routine mammograms to screen for breast cancer will be more difficult with breast implants.
• Breast implants may affect your ability to breast feed, either by reducing or eliminating milk production.

Factors to consider specifically about silicone gel-filled breast implants include:

• If your silicone gel-filled breast implant ruptures, you may have no symptoms. This is called a silent rupture because, most of the time, neither you nor your doctor will know that your implant has ruptured.
• The best way to determine whether or not your silicone gel-filled implant has ruptured is with an MRI examination. You should have your first MRI three years after your implant surgery and every two years thereafter.
• Over your lifetime, the cost of MRI screening may exceed the cost of your initial surgery. This cost may not be covered by medical insurance.

Source: http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/BreastImplants/ucm063719.htm#1

Platinum is a metal used in the manufacture of the shell and gel components of silicone breast implants. FDA fully evaluated the scientific literature on platinum. Based on the existing literature, FDA believes that the platinum contained in the implant shell and gel is in the zero oxidation state, which poses the lowest health risk. This is further supported by the available biocompatibility testing, gel bleed testing, and clinical data on these implants.

Source: FDA

If your saline-filled breast implant ruptures, you or your doctor will be able to tell. When saline-filled breast implants rupture, they deflate and the saline solution leaks into your body immediately or over a period of days. You will notice that your implant loses its original size or shape.

If your silicone gel-filled breast implant ruptures, it is likely that neither you nor your doctor will know. This is known as a silent rupture. This is why MRI is recommended at three years after implantation and then every two years thereafter to screen for rupture. However, sometimes there are symptoms. These symptoms include hard knots or lumps surrounding the implant or in the armpit, change or loss of size or shape of the breast or implant, pain, tingling, swelling, numbness, burning, or hardening of the breast.

Source: http://www.fda.gov/

We do not know all of the causes of breast implant rupture. We do know that breast implants can rupture from:

• damage during implantation or during other surgical procedures
• folding or wrinkling of the implant shell
• trauma or other excessive force to the chest
• compression of the breast during mammography.

Source: http://www.fda.gov/

it is likely that you will need to have one or more reoperations over the course of your life because of local complications from breast implants.

Reasons for reoperations could include any of the potential local complications bulleted above, such as capsular contracture, wrinkling, asymmetry, rupture/deflation, implant malposition, etc.

The type of surgical procedure(s) performed during the reoperation depends on the local complication involved. More than one procedure may be performed in a single reoperation. Examples of the types of surgical procedures that may be performed in a reoperation include:

• implant removal with or without replacement

• capsule procedure (e.g., removal or surgical release of the capsule)

• scar or wound revision (e.g., surgical removal of excess scar tissue)

• drainage of a hematoma (e.g., inserting a needle or tube through the skin to drain the collection of blood)

• repositioning of the implant (e.g., surgically opening the incision and moving the implant)

• biopsy/cyst removal (e.g., inserting a needle through the skin or cutting through the skin to remove a lump).

Multiple reoperations to either improve the appearance of the breasts, to remove ruptured/deflated implants, or both may result in an unsatisfactory cosmetic outcome.

A retrospective study by Gabriel, et al. showed that 24% of women with breast implants had complications resulting in a reoperation during the first five years after implantation (silicone and saline implants were studied together). ⁷ According to this study, about 1 in 3 women getting breast implants for reconstruction needed a reoperation within five years, and about 1 in 8 women getting breast implants for augmentation needed a reoperation within five years.

Prospective studies of saline-filled breast implants approved by FDA in May 2000 showed reoperation rates of 13-21% at 3 years and 20-26% at 5 years for augmentation patients. The same studies showed reoperation rates of 39-40% at 3 years and 43-45% at 5 years for reconstruction patients.

Source: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

You may need non-surgical treatments or reoperations (including removal of your implant) to treat any of these local complications. Potential local complications include, but are not limited to:

. Asymmetry
. Inflammation/irritation
. Breast pain
. Malposition/displacement
. Breast tissue atrophy
. Necrosis
. Calcification/calcium deposits
. Nipple/breast sensation changes
. Capsular contracture
. Palpability/visibility
. Chest wall deformity
. Ptosis
. Delayed wound healing
. Redness/bruising
. Extrusion
. Rupture/deflation
. Galactorrhea
. Scarring
. Granuloma
. Seroma
. Hematoma
. Unsatisfactory style/size
. Iatrogenic injury/damage
. Wrinkling/rippling
. Infection, including Toxic Shock Syndrome

Source: FDA Breast Implant Consumer Handbook – 2004