While it is true that the overwhelming majority of women never have any problems, some do, and oftentimes, the skill of your surgeon has nothing to do with the problems you may or may not experience.
The idea that surgeons who charge less are the most mistake-prone only goes so far. There are many outside influences that can change a good surgical experience into a bad one. Let’s take a look at just a few of the most common breast augmentation complications out there.
1. Scars
No matter how adept or expensive your surgeon might be, you will have a scar of some kind once your surgery is over. An adept surgeon can hide the scar underneath the breast so that it can’t really be seen, but if there are some kinds of complications or problems during surgery, the scar can grow exponentially.
Many women brush off the concern about scars and simply think they can wear makeup over them, but the idea of having to do that for the rest of your life is simply unrealistic. Every surgery leaves a scar, so don’t think you can come out of your augmentation without one.
2. Botched Surgery
Different women define botched surgery in different ways. It could be a surgery that leaves your breast misshapen or hard, or it could be one that essentially mutilates your breast so that it never, ever looks right again. In any case, the most serious risk of breast augmentation is botched surgery.
Do the proper research before you pick a doctor to see if they have a history of botched patients. If they do, no discount should be deep enough for you to go under the knife with that doctor in charge.
3. Dissatisfaction
While some people may not consider this a complication, many women simply don’t like the results of their surgery and have it almost immediately reversed. Not only will this cost you an arm and a leg, but it can also lead to extra scarring and a significantly increased healing period that could go on for months.
Many experts agree that changing your mind is the biggest of all breast augmentation risks because it is something you can’t prepare for and won’t know is coming until it is too late.
Despite all of the advanced technology that many doctors use, it is impossible to really imagine what you are going to look like with the various different kinds of breasts that are available. Many women find out too late that the implants they have are either too small for what they had in mind or too large.
This requires either a brand new surgery or the feeling that you’ve wasted your money, neither of which is good. Make sure you consider the size of the implants you are getting before you agree to the size because you don’t want to have to go through your surgery again.
4. Texture Problems
One of the biggest problems that many women think about is the unnatural hardening of their breasts due to their implants. Recent advances in materials have helped to reduce the frequency with which this happens, but burst implants can still affect the tissue in the breast, which can lead to hardening.
Make sure that your doctor doesn’t try to talk you into using silicone implants as these are often the least flexible and the most prone to breakage. Breast enlargement surgery should only be done with saline or gel implants, and even these will harden over time and require additional surgeries.
5. Breastfeeding
Recent studies have shown that breast enlargement surgery usually does not impact breastfeeding in a negative way, but a surgical mistake during the insertion or removal of your implants can. In some cases, the surgeon might accidentally cut a nerve or some of the milk ducts in the breast, which would stop the woman from being able to breastfeed normally.
Women have also reported that if the implant placement is off by just a few millimeters, the natural flow of milk from the duct to the nipple can be suppressed, which can lead to infections.
6. Additional Surgeries
Since no implant is permanent, you will need a series of surgeries every few years for as long as you want to keep your implants. Even the most advanced saline or gel implants harden over time, and although silicone is now not in common use, you will still need to have your implants replaced every so often.
More replacements mean more surgery, an increased chance of a procedure getting botched, and a dramatically increased likelihood of infection setting in.
7. Sensitivity Problems
Perhaps the worst nightmare for any woman who has had breast augmentation surgery is a loss or significant change in sensitivity. As a side effect of breast augmentation, a surprising number of women have said that their level of sensitivity has gone up to the point where it hurts.
It is important that you and your partner expect some degree of sensitivity to change after you are completely healed from your operation. The normal healing period takes up to six weeks, so be sure you have allowed enough time to pass before you see if you have gained or lost sensitivity.
8. Infection
Without a doubt, the most common breast augmentation complication most women experience is an infection. With such powerful bugs as staph out there, it is absolutely vital that all wounds remain clean and free from any kind of debris. A staph infection can go from being a minor setback to a life-threatening condition in a matter of hours.
Every year, hundreds of people from all over the country die after what would be considered routine surgery because of an infection. Watch your temperature in the days after your procedure is done since your body will often react with a fever to battle any bug you might have.
Conclusion
As you can see, it is very important to consider these most common breast augmentation complications and talk with your surgeon before you make a final decision. We hope that you’ll find this article useful if you are thinking about breast augmentation surgery in the near future.