Silicone Breast Implants: How the Risks Outweigh the Benefits

Adding a silicone breast implant is another form of plastic surgery. Doctors use them to correct the size of a woman’s breast after mastectomy. Transgender women who take hormonal pills are also availing the use of this procedure to achieve the feminine physique that they long to have.

In addition, females who have smaller breasts have the option to wear implants if they want to make their breasts look bigger.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported that silicone implants are generally safe. Despite this, complaints keep on flowing in about its negative effects to the body. Complications from the implants became rampant. Some are nitpicking about the wrinkles, ruptures, pain, lopsided implants and infection.

History Of Breast Implants

It started on the late nineteenth century. Back then, surgeons performed breast implants with the aim to augment the size, alter the shape and enhance the sensation of a woman’s breast.

As of today, people can get more benefits from breast implants. It helps cancer patients and other women who have problems with the size of their breasts.

The case is the same with transgender women who want to get the perfect feminine body that they always wanted.

This silicone breast implant procedure was banned from the market in 1992. It is due to the leaked information that this particular process may cause autoimmune diseases or cancer. In 2006, the products were restored with Food and Drug Administration’s safety evaluation.

Ruptures

Rupturing is one of the most reported complications when it comes to silicone breast implants. This can cause pain or changes in the shape of the breast. Fortunately, ruptures do not cause breast cancer, sexual dysfunction, reproductive problems and connective tissue problems.

There are cases when the implant ruptures could remain unnoticed. Trapped silicone in the tissues that surround the implant are the main cause.  The condition is a silent rupture. Additional scar tissue may form when some of the fibrous tissues that surround the implant become inflamed. This may lead to the following scenarios.

• Swelling may occur in the affective breast. The part will be sore and it can be very painful.
• There can be a noticeable change in the affected breast’s shape and size.
• Lumps will surround the impacted breast.
• The breast with inflamed tissues may be softened or hardened.

Consult a doctor if the above cases occur, or you suspect a rupture has formed in your implant. An MRI scan will confirm if a rupture took place in your breast.

For cases of silent rupture, you may request a replacement or removal immediately once you have noticed some changes.

Surgical removal is required when it comes to treating the rupture condition. You can also request to add a new implant at the same time. If you have decided that you don’t want to silicone breast implant any longer, you can request to your doctor to have it removed.

Silicone Poisoning

Fifteen years ago, news broke out that silicone poisoning might occur after a breast implant. Subsequent to an extensive research and study about the use of silicone in breast implanting, FDA declared that silicone poisoning is unlikely to happen. They also stated that they found no toxicity in silicone breast implants.

Other Complications From Silicone Breast Implants

Apart from rupturing, there are other complications associated with silicone breast implant procedures. Some of those include the following conditions:

•  Capsular Contracture – Due to natural reactions of your body towards the recent breast implant procedure, you may experience the capsular contracture condition.
  The body will create a fibrous scar tissue around the implant as a part of the recovery process.
  This scar tissue will gradually shrink causing capsular contracture.
  This condition may squeeze the implant leading to a hardened breast.

This will occur sometime after the silicone breast implant operation. It will require more surgeries in order to fix this problem. These methods are called open capsulectomy, open capsulotomy and closed capsulotomy.

• Creasing And Folds – The implant can affect the skin on the breast area badly. Creases, kinks, folds and ripples are likely to occur. Women with very small breasts prior to the procedure have greater risks of experiencing this condition.

• Siliconomas – This happens when the silicone spreading outside the scar capsule, which could possibly leak into your breast.
  Small lumps will form afterwards and these are siliconomas.
  This can be tender to touch.
  A doctor will remove them if the patient experiences significant pain afterwards. It could produce lymph nodes if the silicone spread under your breast and armpit.

• Scarring – Scars, which may range from mild to severe, are likely to happen after the surgery.
  These scars may be red or deeply colored, thick, lumpy and painful.
  This scarring may improve in a short time but in some cases, it may take several years before patients see an improvement

• Nipple Sensation – Patients notice an increased nipple sensation after a silicone breast implant. They can be too sensitive that you may feel pain at times. There are also some instances when the nipples will become numb. Consult your surgeon and get some advice on how you can deal with this condition.

• Infection And Bleeding – Infection is another possibility when it comes to surgeries like breast implants.
  Bleeding may also be present but this is a very rare case.
  Doctors treat most infection and bleeding problems by prescribing antibiotics.
  In worst cases, a surgeon may need to remove the implant, which will put you through another operation.

• Seroma – Fluid building up around your implant is a seroma, which is common among breast implant patients. If this occurs, another surgery may be required to drain the liquid. However, some cases of seroma were resolved without draining the fluid.

Silicone breast implants are generally safe, but risks will always be present.Before taking advantage of such a procedure, it is advisable to consider whether you really need this kind of surgery.

You may also want to mull over the possible complications, which may affect your health condition and expenses before going for this kind of operation.