A breast implant is a medical prosthesis that is
placed inside the breast to augment, reconstruct, or create the physical form
of the breast.
There are three main types of breast implants:
- Saline
implants are filled with a sterile saline solution, like saltwater. The
solution is held within an elastomer silicone shell.
- Silicone
gel-filled implants consist of a silicone outer shell filled with a silicone
gel.
- Alternative
composite implants may be filled with polypropylene string, soy oil, or some
other material.
There are risks associated with all breast implants,
including:
- additional
surgeries
- breast
implant associated-anaplastic large cell lymphoma, a cancer of the
infection-fighting cells (lymphocytes) of the immune system
- capsular
contracture, which is scar tissue that squeezes the implant
- breast
pain
- rupture
(tears or holes in the shell) with deflation of saline and silicone gel-filled
implants
- silent
(without symptoms) rupture of silicone gel-filled implants
- infection
If you’re considering breast implants, here are three
tips:
Recognize that breast implants are not
considered lifetime devices. The longer people have
them, the greater the chances are that they will develop complications, some of
which will require more surgery. The life of breast implants varies by person
and can’t be predicted. That means everyone with breast implants will face
additional surgeries, but no one can tell them when. And while a few people may
keep their original implants for 20 to 30 years, that is not the common
experience.
Communicate with your surgeon. For Chicago breast implants, the Surgeons will evaluate the shape, size, surface texture, and placement of the implant and the incision site for each person. Ask the surgeon questions about his or her experience in performing breast implant surgery, the surgical procedure, and the ways the implant might affect your life.
Also, tell the surgeon about previous surgeries and
your body’s response—for example, whether surgeries resulted in a larger than
expected amount of scar tissue—and discuss your expectations. This discussion
helps the surgeon make operative decisions that achieve the desired appearance,
including decisions about incision location and size as well as implant size,
material, and placement. Many people have additional operations to change
implant size. To achieve the best results after the first procedure, careful
planning and reasonable expectations are necessary.
Learn about long-term risks.
The FDA has identified an association between breast implants and the
development of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a type of non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma. People who have breast implants may have an increased risk of
developing ALCL in the fluid or scar tissue surrounding the implant. Breast
implants approved in the U.S. can be filled with either saline or with silicone
gel. They come in different sizes and shapes and have either smooth or textured
surfaces (shells). BIA-ALCL appears to develop more frequently in individuals
with textured implants than in people with smooth-surfaced implants. Remember,
like other lymphomas, ALCL is a cancer of the immune system and not of breast
tissue.
Although some women with implants may have experienced
health problems such as connective tissue diseases (such as lupus and rheumatoid
arthritis), trouble breastfeeding, or reproductive problems, current evidence
does not support an association between breast implants and these conditions.