10 things you should know about silicone implants

Introduction

Do you want to enhance the appearance of your breasts through plastic surgery, but don’t know what to expect after the procedure? No problem! Even before the initial consultation with your plastic surgeon, you will be able to find out the most frequent risks and complications that can occur from a breast augmentation surgery with silicone implants.

Now, let’s discuss more details about the silicone implants.

What is silicone?

Silicone is a synthetic material that doesn’t cause any reaction to your body. It does not induce any chemical reaction, affect the immunity, or cause any allergies. Furthermore, silicone has been used for over fifty years for breast implants with no notable complications. It is also important to mention that there is no relationship found between breast cancer and silicone implants. While you will find thousands of forums online discussing this topic, the reality is that studies proved that breast cancer is not more common for patients with breast implants than for patients without the breast implants.

Silicone is highly malleable, so it can look very natural and have a texture very similar to the natural breasts. Aside from that, surgeons can use silicone for different interventions, such as chin, buttock and cheek implants. The advantage of the silicone compared to other materials is that it offers a long-term guarantee.

What are the risks of the silicone implants surgery?

1. For the first few days after the surgery, your breasts will feel swollen and painful. Expect a certain level of discomfort too, but don’t worry, the plastic surgeon will prescribe medication to help you manage the pain. Of course, each patient has their own level of tolerance to pain, so we can’t really say how painful it is going to be for you. Nevertheless, you will have pain medication to control any possible pain and discomfort.
2. Recovery can last up to three months. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you’ll be in complete bed rest. There are even patients who can go shopping the next day after the surgery. Having said that, we had patients who suffered a lengthier and tougher recovery period. It really is on a patient-to-patient basis.
3. You should be careful not to put too much effort, especially during the first week because it is crucial to your recovery. The doctor will advise you to avoid too much arm movements, especially if your breast implants are located under the pectoral muscle since it is affected by it.
4. There will be changes in the sensitivity of your nipples and areolas. They should be back to normal on their own after the first six weeks, but in the rare case, it can be permanent. Unfortunately, this complication can’t be avoided in all cases.
5. There is a high risk of infection, which is why your plastic surgeon will prescribe antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medication and antalgic medication too. If you do develop an infection and the treatment doesn’t work, the implant may have to be removed from the pocket in the breast in order to clean the area. Afterwards, the implant will be put back. In some cases, the implant may have to be removed until the area is completely healed.
6. You will have discomfort while moving, but it will disappear after a few days. As mentioned, too much arm movement should be avoided. This means that you won’t be allowed to lift objects to higher shelves in the pantry, close or open the door of the car and even to swing open a door.
7. The loss of breast sensitivity is another potential risk. In case it occurs, it is good to know that the feeling around your breasts will be regained after a few weeks.
8. It can take up to one or two years for the scars to become less visible. The final result of the surgery can only be evaluated once the scars have healed completely.
9. Bleeding and blood accumulation at the incision site can occur. In some cases, you will be required an additional surgical intervention to eliminate the hematoma or seroma. But this is only if they are big enough and haven’t disappeared on their own after a few weeks or months.
10. The rupture of the implant can occur at any time after the surgery, but it only happens in rare cases. If it does, the plastic surgeon will perform a new surgery to replace them. In the case of silicone implants, the rupture of the implants is less visible and it may even take years before the patient discovers that the implants are leaking. The good thing is that the silicone won’t migrate to other areas of the body, and it will not create an allergic reaction in the body.
11. The risk of capsular contracture is also possible when discussing potential complications after breast augmentation with silicone implants. This means that the implant can be deformed by a scar tissue forming in the body causing the breast implants to separate from the surrounding tissue.

Conclusion

Your plastic surgeon should also mention the fact that you will be required to use a girdle for at least a few weeks or even months after the breast implants surgery is performed. For the first two weeks, you will be required to wear the girdle all day and only remove it when cleaning of the area. This can be uncomfortable, especially for those patients who want to show off their new breasts immediately, just bear in mind that this is for your benefit. It can take up to 12 months for the results of the surgery to be final since you can only evaluate it only after the the scars are completely healed. Even if the breasts look amazing, if the scars are severe or are too visible, the result of the surgery can be deemed as unsatisfactory. Therefore, you should strictly follow instructions about your post-op care to ensure the best possible results.