Breast Augmentation Complications
There are risks with all surgeries, and breast augmentation is no exception.
Anesthesia Risks
For starters, there are risks associated with anesthesia. The two main types of anesthesia used for breast augmentation are general anesthesia (you are asleep) or a combination of local anesthesia and conscious sedation (your level of consciousness is altered to varying degrees).
General anesthesia carries rare but potentially fatal risks such as aspiration (when an object or liquid is inhaled into the respiratory tract), allergic reaction, nausea, vomiting and increased blood pressure and heart rate. One in 250,000 people die each year from complications of general anesthesia. The risks are greater among people with serious medical conditions.
Local anesthesia is considered extremely safe. The risks of conscious sedation include headache, a hangover-like feeling, nausea, vomiting and/or unpleasant memories of your surgery. For more information on the risks of anesthesia and how to protect yourself, visit our comprehensive article on the subject.
General Surgery Risks
Even in the hands of the best breast surgeon, there can be complications with your surgery. They include:
- Infection
- Excessive bleeding
- Hematoma (break in a blood vessel)
- Seroma (collection of fluid underneath the skin)
- Blood clots (often in the leg, known as deep vein thrombosis [DVT])
- Tissue death (necrosis)
- Implant extrusion or rejection (the body rejects the implant and pushes it out)
- Loss of sensation in the nipples or breast area.
- Capsular contracture
- Galactorrhea (production of breast milk)
- Scarring
- Breast implant deflation
- Implant rupture
- Granulomas (small areas of inflammation in tissue that can occur if a silicone gel implant ruptures and leaks)
- Death
Cosmetic Complications
Some breast augmentation complications may be cosmetic in nature. These may include:
- Rippling, wrinkling and contour irregularities
- Synmastia (the two breast implants end up touching each other in the middle of the chest)
- Bottoming Out. This occurs when the breast implant has lost its tissue support and has slipped below the inframammary crease (the fold line just under the breasts where they meet the chest).
- Mondor's Cord. This is named for a French surgeon, Henri Mondor. It refers to the presence of a bulging vein under your breast lobe, on your abdomen and breast. It is caused by thrombophlebitis (inflammation of a vein).
- Dissatisfaction with your results
Some complications such as synmastia, capsular contracture, implant deflation or dissatisfaction may require revision breast augmentation. The best way to protect yourself is to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon to perform your breast augmentation surgery. Board certification assures you that your surgeon has had extensive training, passed rigorous examinations, and is up to date on new technology and techniques.
Breast augmentation surgery is one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures in the United States. This website provides a one-stop resource for all information related to breast implants, including information about breast augmentation cost, a gallery of breast implants before and after pictures and details about breast implant size, incision location and placement.
