After Breast Augmentation Surgery

According to PlasticSurgery.org, there were over 307,000 breast augmentation surgeries performed in 2008 making it the most performed surgical cosmetic procedure for that year. Women who are after a larger breast size need to think about what happens after breast augmentation surgery.

The experience doesn't necessarily end after breast implants are inserted, that's really just the beginning and one should expect further surgeries to follow. This is because breast implants are designed to last a lifetime and most will need to be removed and/or replaced within 10 years. The older breast implants get, the more prone they are to rupture or deflation.

The first 24 to 48 hours after breast augmentation surgery are typically the most uncomfortable hours that will have to be dealt with. Any kind of movements involving bending, lifting and any kind of raising of the arms should be avoided. Not only will it be painful, but it may delay the healing process as well.

Most patients will be able to return to work within one week, while others may feel they need more or less time. Recovery completely depends on the incision placement and skill of the plastic surgeon.

Any type of surgery will have a risk of possible complications and breast augmentation is no exception. Some of the most popular complications include:

Deflation or Rupturing

Deflation or rupturing can and do occur on occasion. The older the implant, the higher the risk of rupture or deflation. If an implant ruptures or deflates, it will need to be replaced with a brand new implant, which will require another breast augmentation surgery.

Capsular Contracture

After breast augmentation surgery, it's normal for scar tissue to form around the breast area. This is a natural part of the healing process. However, in some cases, the scar tissue will begin to squeeze or tighten the breast implant. This occurs more often with sub-muscular placement and is also more common following hematoma or infection. 

If pain and firmness is severe enough, a surgery will be peformed to remove the tissue and may even require removal of the entire breast implant itself. Any time a breast augmentation surgery is performed, there is a chance of capsular contracture. It can happen over and over, but it's still fairly rare.

Additional Surgeries

Additional surgeries are not always required just because of complications, once the breast implants begin to age, they will need to be replaced eventually to help prevent deflation and rupturing.

Infection

There is always the risk of infection anytime a surgery of any kind is performed.

Changes in Nipple or Breast Sensation

After breast augmentation surgery, women may experience changes in breast or nipple sensation. It may only change for a short period after the surgery, or patients may not ever feel any nipple sensation ever again. The absence of nipple sensation isn't necessarily a bad thing and many women actually don't mind it because they thought their nipples were too sensitive in the first place, but it is something to think about before going ahead with the surgery.