It is quite common for women to want changes in the size of their breasts. As a result of insufficient development of the breast tissue, the shrinkage of the developed breast tissue following weight loss, or the shrinkage of the breast tissue after breastfeeding, which we call involution, the breast tissue may be smaller than the desired size of the individuals. In this case, breast augmentation operations called augmentation can be performed. Women with small breasts can enlarge their breasts with breast implants, or women who have a slight sagging in their breasts due to aging or pregnancy can slightly lift their breasts with breast prostheses. In breast augmentation surgeries, a planning is made by considering the patient’s existing breast tissue, shape, dimensions and the size that the patient wants to achieve. After this planning made according to the individual characteristics of the patient, it is decided which type and size of the prosthesis is more suitable and at which level this prosthesis will be placed. Although this procedure is an aesthetic procedure, there are some medical rules that must be taken into account while performing it. For this reason, although the wishes of the individual are taken into account, these rules are primarily taken into account by plastic surgeons in order for the surgery to be successful and to obtain natural results. As in every surgery, patient safety and the medical rules followed all over the world are very important for us surgeons.
The main complications associated with this surgery are:
- Bacterial infection
- Being unresponsive to anesthesia
- Bleeding
- Unwanted incision scar
- Unwanted aesthetic result
What are the risks of breast augmentation surgery?
In addition to the risks of anesthesia, there are some risks in these surgeries. The most common problem is bleeding. If bleeding occurs, the accumulated blood can form a hematoma and the way to destroy it is a second surgery. Although the risk of infection is low, it is a condition that can be encountered due to the placement of a foreign substance in the chest. If an infection occurs near the prosthesis, it may be necessary to remove the prosthesis surgically. Rarely, a loss of sensation in the nipples may occur, but it has been observed that this is usually temporary. In addition, a membrane tissue forms around the prosthesis. This membrane, which is normally present in every patient, may deform the shape of the prosthesis by contracting and thickening in some patients. In this case, called capsule contraction, a second surgery may be required.
If the patient chooses larger size implants for breast revision surgery, they may experience more discomfort as it takes time for the body to get used to the new, larger implants. Also, when it comes to placing larger implants, the surgery will be more complex and more invasive (depth of intervention). This is because new breast pockets are needed to accommodate larger implants. However, the position of the implants may also need to change. This may lead to a slight increase in the risk of complications.
