Breast Implant/Augmentation Gone Wrong

There's always an array of risks involved in every kind of plastic surgery. Breast Implant and Augmentation also includes risks. The 3 most common results from breast implants gone wrong include bleeding, scarring and infection. When breast implant goes wrong, it can result in implant complications that can range from breast implant pain to nipple and breast sensation changes.

Breast pain

Imagine your skin being cut open from under the breasts or underarms or near the nipples, big enough to insert the breast implants, as part of the breast augmentation procedure. It may not feel much when you’re under sedation, but boy can it pain when you get back your sensations! Of course, some degree of breast pain is common after breast augmentation surgery, as is swelling, bruising and other initial side effects. And the pain after breast augmentation is the greatest within the first forty-eight hours, but improves with each day. However, not all women feel pain the same way, and its duration and intensity can vary. So, if you’re lucky you will get rid of it soon, with time, medication and proper post-operative care.
The factors that may contribute in breast pain are as follows:

a. Plastic surgery breast implants, if not of proper size, can stretch the tissues resulting in pain. This is especially true when the implants are placed under the muscle.
b. Wrong placement of implants.
c. Use of Inappropriate surgical techniques.
d. Capsular contracture.

According to the Institute of Medicine report, pain is one of the primary reasons for women to seek breast implant removal or replacement after the original surgery. Statistically speaking, studies of FDA approved saline-filled breast implants showed breast pain rates of five to sixteen percent at three years and seven to seventeen percent at five years for augmentation patients. The same studies showed breast pain rates of fifteen to seventeen percent at three years and sixteen to eighteen percent at five years for reconstruction patients. So, if you experience breast augmentation pain, don’t hesitate in telling your physician, it may not be a simple case of breast implant scar healing, it can very well be breast implant gone wrong.

Nipple and breast sensation changes

Your problems are not limited to breast pain after breast augmentation surgery. You can experience an increase or decrease in the sensitivity in the breast area too, because of nipple and breast sensation changes. This condition can vary from extreme sensitivity to no sensation at all in both the nipple and the breast and can be temporary or permanent, depending upon the type of nerve damage or other injury caused during breast augmentation surgery.
Although, nipple and breast sensation changes are possible with any type of incision that causes nerve damage, there are some factors that increase the risk:

a. Peri-areolar incision techniques are most risky. Even transaxillary incision technique is not above board.
b. Subglandular breast implant placement causes sensation changes, but submuscular placement doesn’t. In subglandular placement there’s a greater chance of surgical procedure interfering with and damaging the outer layers of the skin that are responsible for the sensation.

According studies conducted by the biggest implant manufacturers, Inamed and Mentor, between five and nine percent of patients experience intense changes in nipple sensation at three years and ten percent at five years. An additional ten percent of patients experience a permanent loss of nipple sensation. Seven to eight percent of patients experience intense skin sensation between three and five years after breast augmentation surgery.

Nipple and breast sensation changes can adversely affect sexual response to stimuli and the ability to nurse the baby. So, if the prospects of having numb nipples seem frightening, don’t opt for this surgery. No surgeon can guarantee a percentage of success in preserving nipple sensation.

Breast implants gone wrong also includes scar tissue that builds up so badly that the implant actually hardens. Another thing to consider is the fact that breast implants can actually rupture as a result of a hard blow to the breast or from wear over time. In most cases, a ruptured saline implant is not so serious because the saline solution will be absorbed by the body. Some patients have experience fever and rashes however. If this happens to you, call you doctor immediately.

an example of breast implants gone wrong

To know what breast implant is see Breast Implants and Augmentation
For before and after implant pictures see Breast Implant Photos