Breast enhancement surgery is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures performed in the United States. According to the American Society of Plastic surgeons, more than 300,000 women undergo breast enhancement surgery every year. As a young woman considering breast augmentation surgery, you might want to know how breast enhancement might affect your ability to breastfeed your children. In the vast majority of cases, women who undergo breast enhancement surgery are able to successfully breastfeed their children.
When you visit with your cosmetic surgeon, you will want to discuss every aspect of the surgery before hand. Even if you are not planning to have children any time soon, you should understand the effects that breast enhancement might have and weigh the factors that minimize risks of future complications. Some of the main factors to consider are:
- Implant type
- Placement
- Incision approach
The FDA regulates breast implants and approves two main types of implants for use in breast augmentation surgery:
- Silicone gel
- Saline
In the 1990s, several lawsuits against silicone gel manufacturers caused the FDA to ban the implants for breast augmentation surgery in the United States. Some of the fear was that silicone gel caused systemic health problems when a leak occurred. Many women also feared that silicone gel would seep out of the implant into the breast milk.
Thousands of women had their silicone gel implants replaced with safer saline filled implants. In 2006, the FDA again allowed silicone gel back on the market under close federal scrutiny. So far, there is no convincing evidence of problems with silicone gel implants and breastfeeding.
The placement of the implant can also affect breast feeding. With a sub glandular placement, some women who have fed before and after implants have given anecdotal evidence that it helps with breast feeding. Other placement options include subpectoral and submuscular placement, which moves the implant further away from the mammary gland.
Physically, a more important consideration is the incision type. There are several types of approaches made to get to the pocket where the implant is placed.
- Inframammary – The most common approach has the 3 to 4 cm incision underneath the fold of the breast known as the inframammary crease.
- Periareolar – Using this approach, the incision is made in the pigmented part of the areola. This helps hide the scar, but may increase risk of affecting the nerves that supply sensation to the nipple. Even with this approach, chances of adversely affecting the glands ducts are slim.
- Transaxillary – With this approach, the surgeon places the implant through an incision in the underarm.
- Transumbilical – This approach is less common. It involves tunneling up from the umbilical area.
Combining all these factors will help you decide which implant, placement, and incision type will best help you get the most from your breast augmentation surgery while minimizing problems with breast feeding later on.
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