Breast Augmentation Risks and Benefits Philadelphia

Understanding the Risks and Benefits of Breast Augmentation Allow You to Make an Informed Decision

Dr. Joseph Rabson and his team at the Advanced Cosmetic Surgery and Laser Center, serving the Philadelphia area and Montgomery County, want to make sure that anyone considering breast augmentation understands the risks and benefits involved in the procedure before making a decision.

The breast implants used in breast augmentation are designed to mimic the look and feel of natural breast tissue. However, due to the shape and composition of breast implants, certain complications can arise that are not typical with other medical devices and implants.

• Breast Implant Complications
• Silicone Breast Implants
• Saline Breast Implants

Breast Implant Complications

Some possible complications with breast implants that can arise:

• Rippling - a folding or wrinkling of the implant's shell, which you may feel or see
• Rupture - a tearing of the implant's shell that can comprise its structural integrity
• Mammography interference - the implant may interfere with mammogram results, making it difficult to receive accurate test results
• Capsular contracture - the body creates a response to the foreign materials (the implants), resulting in a distorted appearance or hardness. Dr. Rabson has a reputation of having a very low rate of capsular contracture.
• Infection – This may even require the removal of the implant, at least until the infection has resolved.

Some breast augmentation patients will require additional surgeries or revision breast augmentation in their lifetimes.

When it comes to choosing the type of implant for breast augmentation, there are two main options, and each has its own risks and benefits:

Silicone Breast Implants - Risks and Benefits

While they were being extensively studied, silicone breast implants had been banned for 14 years by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for purely cosmetic surgery. They have now finally been approved for use in women who are at least 22 years old. While scientific studies have been able to disprove the myth that silicone implants cause cancer and autoimmune diseases, there are still risks. If a silicone implant ruptures, the patient may not even realize it. Unlike a saline implant, a silicone implant will not deflate and may actually leak slowly over time, without any signs or symptoms. The best way to detect a rupture with a silicone implant is through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). According to the FDA, patients with silicone implants are also 25 percent more likely to require revision breast augmentation sooner than patients with saline implants. Generally, they require much longer incisions (scars) than saline implants. The chief benefit with a silicone implant is that the silicone implant feels somewhat more natural than its saline counterpart.

Saline Breast Implants - Risks and Benefits

Saline breast implants remained commercially available while silicone breast implants were scrutinized, tested, and removed from the market, but this does not mean they are without their own risks. Saline implants have a higher occurrence of rippling, sometimes even visibly on the side of the breast. Also, saline implants are more likely to rupture than silicone implants, though the rupture is much safer with a saline implant. In addition, researchers have shown that bacteria or mold can rarely grow inside of saline implants, which is not the case with silicone implants which are already sealed from the manufacturer. For this reason, Dr. Rabson uses a closed tubing technique to inflate the saline implant, virtually eliminating the chance of contamination inside it. The chief benefit of a saline implant is that it is filled and inflated once inside the patient, which reduces scarring.

Both implants carry the inherent risks that are associated with any invasive medical procedure, such as anesthesia, infection, hematomas, and sensitivity; and both implants can interfere with mammograms. However, both implants provide the benefit of the larger, shapelier breasts that most patients are looking for in breast augmentation.

Still Have More Questions Concerning Risks and Benefits?

We at the Advanced Cosmetic Surgery and Laser Center are here to serve the Philadelphia area and answer all of your questions concerning the risks and benefits of breast augmentation. We will take the time to go over everything completely so that you can make the best decision and proceed with the surgery you have always wanted. Please contact us today for further information.

back to top

We would be happy to answer any of your questions about facelift surgery and other procedures at our Plymouth Meeting-based practice in Montgomery County.