Are Breast Implants Dangerous to Your Health?

Once a procedure reserved for the highest A-list celebrities, breast augmentation is now a procedure that professionals and stay-at-home moms alike are considering. With the recent scare of widespread cancers and illness being associated with breast implants, more and more people are becoming concerned with the idea of undergoing breast augmentation. Here’s everything you need to know about breast implants and how they affect your body before undergoing the procedure.

Types of Breast Implants

At Port City Plastic Surgery, we offer two kinds of breast implants: saline breast implants and silicone breast implants.

• Saline breast implants are the less expensive option of the two. Filled with a sterile saltwater solution, these implants feel and look a little less natural than silicone breast implants, but are nearly indistinguishable when placed under the muscle.
• Silicone breast implants are made with a cohesive silicone gel and are more popular with patients for their natural look and feel. The “gummy bear” breast implant is the newest generation of silicone implants and made with a memory gel, which makes them feel and look even more real.

Rupture and Deflation of Breast Implants

While both silicone and saline breast implants can rupture, only saline breast implants have the ability to deflate. When this happens to a saline breast implant, the saline solution leaks into the body and the breast implant flattens. You’ll notice your saline breast implant has lost its original size or shape.

When a silicone breast implant ruptures, you may not notice right away. Signs your silicone breast implant has ruptured include a decrease in breast size, a change in your breast shape, feeling hard lumps over the breast implant or chest area, or feeling pain, numbness or other sensation in the breast.

Breast Implant Illness

Breast Implant Illness (BII) is the name given to a series of mysterious systemic symptoms women have experienced after undergoing breast augmentation surgery. Patients who diagnose themselves with
BII experience fatigue, memory loss, joint pain, and brain fog. While this is not a diagnosable condition, it is still the reason many women choose to have their breast implants removed.

Is it True That Breast Implants Can Cause Cancer?

According to the FDA, there is no association between silicone breast implants and connective tissue diseases, breast cancer or other reproductive problems. There is, however, a form of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma. While this is a risk, developing lymphoma as a result of breast augmentation is rare.

If you are interested in learning more about the risks involved with breast enhancement, contact us today to schedule your one-on-one consultation with Dr. Widenhouse. He’ll sit down with you and make sure to answer all of your questions so you can make an informed decision about your cosmetic procedure.