Breast Implant Side Effects

Breast implant side effects are a possibility. Breast implants can impede future mammography tests for cancer. Other considerations that may come up include: breast feeding issues, breast augmentation loss of sensation, and breast implant rupture.

Mammography

Breast implants could impede breast cancer detection. This is perhaps the most serious risk of bust implants. During mammography, X-ray, or ultrasound the implants might mask suspicious tumors or lesions. Healthcare workers and doctors must pay special attention to patients with bust implants when giving breast exams. More views are required, and this will take additional time for imaging. If you have bust implants, you must tell the receptionist when you make a mammography appointment so they can schedule the extra time.

The radiologist will need to use special imaging techniques called Eklund displacement views, which maximize what is visible of the breast tissue to better detect tumors or lesions. These must be performed as well as the standard views. Mammography procedures also compress the breasts, which may increase the chance of a breast implant rupture.

Breast Feeding Issues

Many women who have had bust implants are able to breastfeed successfully. However, your bust implants may interfere with breastfeeding. If you plan to have breast implant surgery, tell your surgeon beforehand if you anticipate needing to breast feed in the future.

Breast Augmentation Loss of Sensation

You may experience some loss of sensation in the nipples and breast area after breast implant surgery. This results from damage to nerve endings in these areas. The loss is often temporary, but is permanent in some rare instances. The choice of technique can play a role in whether you experience this loss of sensation.

Breast Implant Rupture

Bust implants don’t last forever. They can break or rupture, and deflate. Many times the rupture is the result of the aging of the implant. It can also be caused by excessive compression to the breast or trauma to the breast. The most noticeable effect is a change in the size and shape of the breast. These changes can occur over the course of a few days or relatively quickly.

If a breast implant ruptures and deflates, you will most likely need to remove it surgically. Most women choose to have them replaced. If you choose not to, you may see some dimpling or puckering of the breasts after removal of the bust implants.