Dr. Lina Triana

Breast surgery: Myths and Truths

Breast surgery is one of the most requested according to the global statistics of the Internacional Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery – ISAPS where it shows that 3.089.952 breast surgeries where done in 2016.

There are several options when we talk of aesthetic breast surgeries such as breast augmentation with implants or patients’s own fat (breast lipoinjection), breast lift and breast reduction. Also according to what the patient wants and needs there are different implant types, techniques and proposed scars.

If you are thinking in having a breast surgery you may want to know some myths and truths that I want to share with you:

  1. When I have a breast implant surgery do the implants last for the rest of my life? Breast implants can last for many years but according to the FDA we must check for possible ruptures on a yearly basis with a MRI or sonogram starting after the third year of having the surgery done and until you decide to change them. Implants should be changed every 10-15 years since the risk of an implant rupture increases with time.
  2.     Do implants interfere with breast feeding? Implants should not interfere with breast feeding since they are placed behind the mammary glad or behind the muscle where there is no direct interference with the gland.
  1. Do breast implants increase the risk of having a cancer or ALCL? There is no medical study today that indicates that breast implants can produce cancer. One of the most recent FDA studied done in implants (this study lasted 10 years) was one done to see if patients with any type of implants had or not  a higher risk of getting an anaplasic giant cell lymphoma – ALCL. The study showed that there is no increased risk of getting ALCL if you have or not an implant.
  2. Can I loose areolar and/or nipple sensitivity with a breast  implant surgery? Generally there should not be any sensitivity loss after a breast implant surgery, but we must never forget every patient is different and unique.
  1. Is a breast surgery painful? It is expected to feel some kind of pain that varies from patient to patient after any procedure, this is why it is important to take medications as prescribed by your doctor.

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