Dangers of Breast Implants

Anything which is not natural may cause problems. And if something like a foreign body is inserted into a human body, it may cause bleeding, swelling, rejection, pain or reaction.
Yet people who want a change in their bodies, have the necessary will power and money cannot be denied the chance to improve their body structure. A woman’s biggest assets are her breasts which are the signatures of her feminity. No wonder that many women would like better breasts which are bigger, a perfect 36 , and more shapely ones.

Plastic surgery is the answer to this and women in their thousands opt for breast augmentation or breast implants. A soft shell made of silicone is inserted into the breast and filled with either silicone gel, reinforced silicone gel or saline water and covered. The appearance is dramatic and the patient is happy with it. However a breast implant surgery carries some risks with it.

The body may reject it and cause a reaction. There may be post operative bleeding or oedema or fluid collection in the area which needs to be drained. There may be tenderness or breast pain in the area, or there may be alterations in the nipple structure or the breast structure. It may interfere with breastfeeding or may look and feel unnatural. The breasts may wrinkle or be asymmetrical. Or the patient herself may feel awkward, self conscious or uneasy. If the implant consists of silicone shell filled with saline, there may be rupture or leakage of the solution. The body will absorb it but the implant shape will change and give the breasts a wrinkled appearance or a rough one.

Generally the life of a breast implant is in decades and there have hardly been any serious complaints. But one has to be aware of them and be on the lookout for them. However the implants too have their own life spans and may become old or worn out causing leakage or change in the breast form. Saline implants may start leaking after sometime. Studies show that the rupture rate may be between three and five percent after three years and between seven and ten percent after five years.

In case of silicone implants, if the shell breaks the silicone gel or the gummy bear inside will spread into the tissue around the implant. And this may migrate to other places and tissues causing problems. Also after the implant the sutures may leave a scar depending upon the sutures used and the skin condition of the patient. However most breast implants operations heal well and don’t leave a scar or cause too many serious complaints.