A few of the question that worries women when they plan to go for breast augmentation surgery is how safe is breast augmentation surgery? Should I go for one? Is it good for me or will it cause me harm? Well, if you are self-assailing yourself with these questions we will help find your answers to this question, the different types of breast augmentation surgery you can opt for, all this and more. All about the Basics Now, the FDA has approved implants for the breast augmentation surgery especially for specific health issues such as reconstruction after breast cancer surgery or trauma, also to fix developmental defects.
Implants are also given the approval to correct and bring changes to any of the previous surgeries. You’ll be glad to know that most patients who have undergone breast augmentation surgery are happy with the results. The FDA mostly has approved two types of breast augmentation surgeries, saline (salt water solution)-filled and silicone gel-filled. Both the silicone outer shell varies in different parameters such as size, shell thickness, and shape. Time to Evaluate the Procedures All the FDA-approved implants have a reasonable assurance safety as they have to undergo elaborate testing for their required effectiveness. Find out some of the risks associated with this type of surgery.
- Additional surgeries – Sometimes you may need a breast implant-associated –anaplastic large cell lymphoma, this is an infection-fighting cell, an immune system-related cancer.
- Capsular contracture, a scar tissue that has an issue of squeezing the implant.
- Breast infection
- Silicone rupture, causing tears or holes with a deflated saline and silicone gel-filled implants.
If you want to go for breast implants, here’s what you need to consider,
- Breast implants do not last an entire lifetime– You may have to do away with them after a certain time-frame as they can start causing problems as it develops complications. The life of a breast implant varies from person to person. So, the bottom line is breast implants require additional surgeries. Some people may keep the implants for 20 to 30 years, but that’s a rarity and may not be applicable to all.
- Evaluating product labeling-The FDA advises that people took a good look at the Summary of Safety and Effectiveness Data (SSED) for each of their products and know more about their specific characteristics and the type of fillers that are used. These summaries provide a quick lowdown on the different types of indications for use, warnings, risks, precautions, and studies that throw light on the FDA approval of the device. You also get to know more about some of the more serious complications. And yes, there are some serious complications involved such as ruptures or capsular contracture. The FDA advises that there is a lot more transparency on facts such as product labeling and health care providers must do just that. Also, it is important that you go through the labeling thoroughly and clear all your doubts from your surgeon.
- Ask your surgeon– For each person, the incision site is different and the placement of the implant also differs from person to person. It is for the surgeon to evaluate and gauge which patient requires what type of surgery. If you have any doubts regarding the procedure, you must talk about it to your surgeon right from his/her experience in performing a breast implant surgery to how it can impact your health. Also, it is important to discuss your medical history, your expectations about the surgery and so on. This discussion will help your surgeon make customized operative decisions, such as the size of the implants, the incision location, the material and size and so on. It is necessary that patients keep reasonable expectations from the surgery so that they reach satisfaction levels after the procedure.
- Know about the long-term risks –There are some risks associated with breast implants, for example, it may lead to the development of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), this is a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. People with breast implants run the risk of ALCL particularly in the fluid or scar tissue surrounding the implant. Breast implants are made up of either saline or silicone gel. They come in varying sizes and shapes and are available in either smooth or textured surfaces (shells). BIA-ALCL tend to affect more people going for textured implants than smooth-surfaced implants.
Yes, there is a risk but it may not affect everyone who goes for breast implants.
- Regular monitoring is the key – It is important you follow your health care provider’s instructions on how you are monitoring the breast implants. It is important to always do a self-check to notice any unusual symptoms, as you are undergoing breast augmentation surgery recovery or even after you have recovered. As soon as you do you have to notify your health care provider.
Also, follow your health care provider’s instructions for monitoring your breast implants and undergoing routine mammography screening for breast cancer. When you make your appointment it is important to inform mammography facility that you have breast implants so that your mammography routine is done with additional care. Besides mammograms, they must also undergo (MRI) or magnetic resonance imaging. This helps detect silent ruptures three years after the surgery and they must go for regular check-ups there-after the surgery. A healthy recovery after surgery is extremely important, so here are certain tips to follow before breast implant surgery.
- Learn more about the surgery
- Get into best physical and emotional shape
- Find a qualified plastic surgeon
- Get your finances in order
If women want to go for breast implants for purely aesthetic reasons, it is an invasive and expensive procedure so they need to think it out extensively. An invasive procedure needs a serious lifetime commitment as it is going to alter your body forever, so it is important to reassess and reevaluate your reasons to go for the procedure, seek an experienced surgeon and a state-of-the-art clinic to undergo a breast augmentation.