Can I breastfeed after getting breast implants? 5 common misconceptions about breast augmentation surgery and implants.

Getting breast augmentation is a big decision that should be preceded with wide and research. Searching about pros and cons of the procedure, you might have spotted some unconfirmed statements about breast implants and the augmentation surgery. In this article we will bust 5 most common myths. We include only trustworthy, scientifically proven information confirmed by our breast surgery specialized plastic surgeon Dr. Seul Chul Hwan PhD and medical research.

1. I won’t be able to breastfeed after getting breast implants.

This is probably the most common misconception about breast implants. Breast implants will not affect your ability to breastfeed no matter of the incision site of choice. Milk ducts will not be damaged and silicone level in produced milk won’t be greater than with the milk from the women who don’t have implants. Researchers proved that cow milk contains 10 times higher amount of silicone and the amount of this substance in breast milk replacement solutions is even higher.1

2. I will lose my nipple sensation after getting breast augmentation.

Sensation in your nipples might be affected for first few weeks or months after the surgery. However, after the whole recovery process is over (depends on your body’s regeneration ability) you will regain full sensitivity in maximum 18 months after the surgery. During the recovery process you might feel soreness or burn sensation in your nipples, and it is a completely normal for recovering nerves. Some patients even experienced enhanced nipple sensitivity (hypersensitivity) after the breast augmentation surgery. Occurrence of complete loss of nipple sensation is extremely rare and oscillates around 0.1% of cases. There are some prerequisites, that lower the risk. First of all, you should consider getting the surgery from an experienced surgeon who knows how to minimize the tissue damage. Quitting smoking and getting the surgery when having a healthy bodyweight will also be helpful. Smoking and excessive body fat are factors that enhances the possibility of permanent nerve damage.

3. Implants need to be replaced every 10 years.

Modern implants don’t require replacement unless they are damaged. There is no need to replace a healthy, unimpaired implant. How to know if the implant is damaged? It is very easy in case of saline implants. When the implants pops, the saline solution leaks and is safely absorbed by the body, while the implant becomes almost completely flat. On the other hand, silicone implant rupture (which is extremely rare) is not that easily noticeable and is often called a “silent rupture”. Silicone implants are filled with cohesive gel, which stays on place even after the rupture. In some cases, there might be physical signs of the damage, such as breast soreness and pain, swelling and change of shape. Implant puncture might also cause the capsular contracture. However, in majority of cases it can be detectable only by MRI or ultrasounds. It is recommended to have the MRI scan every 2 years after the operation.

Rubtured saline implant is flat and lacks volume.
The video shows how the cohesive gel in silicone implant behaves after shell damage.

4. I shouldn’t get implants if I do sports actively.

Getting breast implants will not affect your sport performance. Professional runners, fighters, bodybuilders, and other athletes often decide to get their breasts enhanced. Active exercising leads to increased muscle mass and decreased amount of fat. For many women it means major reduction in their breast size, therefore breast enlargement with implants is the most popular aesthetic surgery amongst women who do sports. During the pre-operation consultation the doctor will ask you about your lifestyle and adjust the surgery plan to your needs and expectations. Although it depends on the case, the doctor will probably recommend subpectoral or dual plane implant placement and optionally fat graft to make your implants look natural, even with little fatty tissue.

Although having breast implants will not have an impact on your sport performance, you must consider a short break in intensive exercising. You can start running not earlier than 2 months after the surgery and lifting weights is not recommended until at least 3 months passed. While coming back to your workout routine, you shouldn’t start from a very heavy lifting or high intensity cardio exercise.

Serene – one of our patients who got 1st place at the fitness competition 1 year after her surgery.
IFBB Figure competitor Camala Rodriguez-McClure

5. Breast implants always look obvious and unnatural.

Your breast after the augmentation surgery will most likely look how you want them to look like. Of course, in of what is possible in your individual case. Natural-looking effect is well achievable via subpectoral or dual plane implant placement. Furthermore, to make the lines even smoother, combination breast augmentation can be advised. Combination breast augmentation is a procedure that combines implant augmentation and autologous fat graft. There are factors that contribute to more natural look. First of all, during the consultation the doctor can advise, the size and projection that matches your body frame. For example, implants with greater projection and volume would rather not look natural on a skinny person with a narrow body frame. In such case, depending on the patient’s expectations, moderate size implants with lower projection might be advised.

Our patient after combination breast augmentation

Conclusion

Believing in myths and unconfirmed information is very normal and sometimes judging what is the truth is not that easy. However, when searching or asking for knowledge, especially medical knowledge it is best to trust specialists in the field, official statistics, and research. We made it easier for you by doing the research and confirming it with our board-certified plastic surgeon, so we hope that at least the most confusing misconceptions were cleared out.

Your breast augmentation surgery should be done safely, effectively and without any side effects. To minimize the risk and maximize the effectiveness, it is important to choose your surgeon carefully. Check if they are board-certified and how much experience do they have.

Learn more about breast augmentation and combination breast augmentation at JW Plastic Surgery Center.