Although a breast enlargement is an elective surgery, it does come with some risks and complications that you should be aware of. The breast enlargement risks and complications are as follows:

Bleeding & bruising

It is normal to have some mild bleeding and bruising after your surgery. In some cases however, the bleeding may be more severe. If this occurs, it usually happens shortly after surgery, but can occur a few weeks later. The breast will become very swollen and tight, and you may need to have further surgery to correct it. You may need to spend an extra night in hospital, but things should settle down in time. If treated promptly, it is unlikely to adversely affect the results of your surgery.

Scarring

As a breast enlargement requires your surgeon to make incisions on the skin, scarring is unavoidable. In most cases however, the scars are mild and will fade over time.

Infection

Infection is a risk that comes with any surgery. If you develop a mild infection, such as a wound infection, your surgeon will give you antibiotics to treat it. It is however, important to flag up any signs of an infection, which can include:

A temperature over 38°C
Redness at the incision line that begins to spread away from the incision
Yellow pus-like or foul smelling fluid coming from the incision site or drains
Increasing pain or discomfort that is not relieved by your pain medicine.

If you notice any of these symptoms, you must notify your surgeon.

Numbness or altered sensations

One of the most common breast enlargement risks is the feeling of altered sensations in the breasts. Typically, patients feel either an increased or reduced sensitivity (numbness) around the scar, nipple or areola.
Both numbness and oversensitivity gradually settle down over time; but it can take several months before the skin sensation returns to normal. In some rare cases, the numbness or altered sensation can persist and may become permanent.

Tissue necrosis

During surgery, the blood supply to some areas of the nipple, skin, fat, or breast tissue may be lost. If this occurs, the area affected may die. This is called ‘necrosis’ and is a very rare complication of surgery. It is however, more likely to occur in smokers. If necrosis does occur, you will need further surgery to remove the dead tissue. This is one of the rarest breast enlargement risks.

Capsular contracture

When your surgeon places any kind of implant (wether saline or silicone) in the body, the body’s natural response is to form a capsule of fibrous scar tissue around it. This scar tissue has a tendency to contract. In some cases, the contraction can lead to tightening and hardening of the capsule. As the capsule tightens, the implant and breast become abnormally firm, and sometimes hard and uncomfortable. Usually, this causes the implant to rise up, giving it a high and round appearance. The rest of the natural breast tissue hangs below the implant.
Capsular contracture is the most common long-term complication of a breast enlargement. It occurs less commonly with saline implants than with silicone implants. In most cases, your surgeon will recommend the surgical removal of the implant and fibrous capsule, with or without replacement of the implant. This procedure is called a capsulectomy and it aims to restore breast symmetry and relieve discomfort.

Seroma

A seroma is a pocket of fluid that commonly develops 7 to 10 days after surgery, usually around the incision line. The affected area of the breast may feel swollen or you may feel like there is fluid under the skin. The development of a seroma can increase your recovery time. Most seromas resolve on their own, but in some cases, a surgeon may need to drain the fluid.

Creasing and folds

After a breast enlargement, the implant may cause the outer surface of the skin to crease and fold. The risk of developing creasing and folds is very low. It does however, occur more commonly in thin patients with small breasts who choose to have saline implants.

Rupture

A rupture occurs when an implant splits open, leaking out its contents. If this occurs, the implant should be removed, and can be replaced if the patient wants it to be. It can be caused by damage to the implant, or as a result of mishandling of the implant before and during surgery. This is why it is crucial to choose an experienced surgeon that knows how to handle the implant appropriately.
Ruptures are more likely to occur with saline implants. They may be harder to detect in silicone implants, as the contents do not leak out as readily. If a silicone rupture goes undetected, it is called a ‘silent rupture’. The FDA (Food & Drug Administration)recommend patients with silicone implants to have regular MRI checks after their surgery to screen for silent ruptures.

Gravity effect

Over time, both natural breasts and breasts with implants begin to droop down. Larger sized implants will lead to a greater extent of drooping. The gravity effect can reduce the firmness of the breasts. It occurs due to a mix of: loss of elasticity, the effect of gravity and breast tissue volume loss (especially after pregnancy and breastfeeding). This can be corrected with a breast uplift.

Lateralisation

During your surgery, your surgeon will create an ‘implant pocket’ in which they will place the implant. This pocket can sometimes loosen, causing the breasts to move too far outwards towards the armpits. This leads to a reduction or loss in cleavage.
Lateralisation can occur when women with a small amount of natural breast tissue get very large implants put in. It is also more likely to occur when a surgeon places the implants above the muscle. If it does occur, you surgeon can correct it with further surgery.

Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL)

Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a cancer of the lymph glands. Symptoms can include swelling of the breast, a mass, or fluid build-up around the implant. This is however, an extremely rare condition. Treatment involves surgical removal of the breast capsule and implant, and in some cases, chemotherapy. If you and your surgeon detect and treat BIA-ALCL early enough, treatment is curative.

Double-bubble

The placement of a breast implant can cause it to interfere with the natural fold at the bottom of the breast (the inframammary fold). A “double bubble” occurs when an implant drops down below this fold. Implants placed below the chest muscle (subpectoral implants), are at greater risk of developing this.

Bottoming-out

During your surgery, your surgeon will create an ‘implant pocket’ in which they will place the implant. This pocket can sometimes weaken. This reduces the tissue support at the bottom of the breasts, which then causes the implant to drop down, pulling the breast tissue down with it. This results in misshapen breasts where there is a fullness at the bottom of the breast, and a nipple that appears unnaturally high. Further surgery can restore the breasts to their former position.

Aesthetic

There is always a risk that you may be unhappy with the results of your breast enlargement. For example, you may be unhappy with the size, shape or symmetry of your breasts. We therefore advise you to choose your surgeon carefully, making sure he or she fully understands your expectations.
Your surgeon will discuss all the breast enlargement risks and complications with you during your consultation. It is important to choose a highly experienced BAAPS/BAPRAS surgeon. This reduces the chance of any breast enlargement risks and complications occurring.

Where in the UK does Medbelle provide Breast Enlargements?

Book your consultation with one of our specialists