Breast Enlargement Through Surgical Implants

With the recent approval of saline breast implants by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), breast enlargement surgery is becoming a very popular cosmetic surgery for women. The number of breast implant surgeries nearly doubled from 1998 to 2003, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Surgical breast implants can offer numerous benefits to women who are suffering from unhappiness with the appearance of their breasts. Although they are now very popular, before choosing breast implants, it is important for women to consider all the facts and risks associated with breast enlargement surgery.

What exactly is surgical breast enlargement? Is it simply breast implants, or does it include the size, shape and contour of the breast as well? In order to discuss surgical breast enlargement, it is important to first define a few terms that are used when referring to breast surgery:

There are two main types of breast implants, those that are saline-filled and those that are silicone gel-filled. Each of these breast implants can vary in shape, size, and shell texture. Some breast implants are pre-filled for a set size, and others are filled through a valve during surgery. Some types of breast implants even allow for filling adjustment after surgery for size adjustment.

The safety of silicone gel-filled breast implants has been debated for many years. Women with silicone gel breast implants have reported many serious health problems, including the following:

While the rupture of a saline implant is fairly safe, the rupture of silicone gel-filled breast implants can be very harmful. Silicone gel breast implants that have leaked have been linked to cancer, connective tissue disease, and neurological diseases. Although this link is still being investigated, due to repeated reports of many serious health problems in women, the Food and Drug Administration banned the widespread use of silicone gel-filled breast implants in 1992, with a few exceptions for specialized cases.

Women are increasingly choosing breast enlargement to help them develop a sense of well-being. Not surprisingly, many women with small breasts have a poor body image due to media pressures for breasts to appear large, perky, or firm. Breast implant surgery can not only improve the appearance of breasts, it can also have a positive effect on women who suffer depression, anxiety, and low-self-esteem due to their breasts' appearance.

While there are important psychological and physical benefits for women who opt for breast enlargement, there are considerable risks to breast implant surgery. For example, the need for a second breast revision surgery after the initial breast enlargement surgery is quite common. This not only adds the risk of another surgery, it can also get very expensive.

Women who wish to breastfeed a baby in the future should take special care in making a decision. It is possible that the breast implant could cause problems with milk production. The site of the implant can also be painful due to scarring. Breast scarring can sometimes lead to deformities, and in some cases nerve damage.

Implants can also make detecting breast cancer more difficult. Mammogram breast cancer screenings can rupture a breast implant, and the radiographic findings can be obscured by the implant, causing a doctor to miss suspicious tissue.

As with any surgery, it is important to discuss all of these potential benefits and risks with your doctor before electing breast enlargement surgery.

Resources

Antoniuk, P.M. (2002, March). Breast augmentation and breast reduction. Obstetrics & Gynecology Clinics of North America 29(1), 103-115.

National Women's Health Information Center. (updated 2004, August). Silicone breast implants: The debate continues. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Rados, C. (2004, September-October). Making an informed decision about breast implants. FDA Consumer Magazine.