What is Breast Augmentation Surgery?
Breast augmentation surgery is simply a method of breast implants and or mammoplasty for cosmetics and enhancement in size, shape, and symmetry of the woman’s breasts.
The procedure implantation has been done under the breast tissue or chest muscles with silicone or saline implants. It comprises aesthetic improvements for better body proportionality, correcting asymmetrical or uneven anatomy, or restoring volume after weight loss or pregnancy.
The procedure usually is considered as safe for use but is still associated with potential contamination or infection, scarring, or implant-related complications. Recovery time varies greatly, but usually, most people can resume their usual daily activities after a few weeks. Breast augmentation Surgery is a highly personal decision, and patients should consider their needs from such an operation long before undertaking the procedure with a qualified surgeon.
Can You Breastfeed After Breast Augmentation Surgery?
This is a big yes; many women can breastfeed after breast augmentation surgery. What type of surgery performed has an impact? There is little interference in one’s ability to breastfeed when the implant is placed under the chest muscle (i.e., submuscular placement), since the milk ducts and glands remain intact. If the child is implanted in the muscle (subglandular placement) or if the incision is made around the areola, there is a higher likelihood of affecting milk supply or ducts, thus hindering breastfeeding.
Different women have different body reactions and some experience problems even before the surgery with breastfeeding. Having an assessment with a good surgeon before planning the procedure, especially if there is a desire to breastfeed, ensures that the best options regarding the ability to breastfeed are chosen.
Read Also: Can Hair Transplant Cause Cancer -Fact & Myths
Possible Challenges of Breastfeeding After Breast Augmentation
Although many women can breastfeed successfully after breast augmentation, there are some possible challenges to be considered.
- Nipple Sensitivity and Nerve Damage: Nerves controlling the sensory perception of nipple have an effect by the incision location while doing breast surgery in lactation. Damage on nerves will surely result in the deficit of sensitivity in the nipple as well as a let-down reflex that makes breastfeeding difficult.
- Implant Placement: Sometimes even an internal versus external position of the implant determines success in breastfeeding. Internal position of implants probably shows lesser chances of reducing a mother’s milk production. Ducts get pressed by the implant in an external position leading to obstruction due to this pressure.
- Increased Risk of Complications: The various conditions that may develop in implant management such as capsular contracture i.e., formation of scar tissue around the implant sometimes complicates unique process birth in some women as the breasts present a firm or painful condition that inhibits nursing.
- Changes in Breast Tissue: Stretching of breast tissue in pregnancy, as well as after the surgery, may lead to failure of the milk ducts to function at optimum levels, hence resulting in poor milk supply in some women.
- Milk Production: Hospitalization does not invariably reduce the production of milk but may indirectly, through an affected duct or disturbed glandular tissues, reduce the amount of milk available for breastfeeding.
- Psychological Effects: Some women become self-conscious or anxious about their ability to breastfeed after breast augmentation, which further affects the experience. You may co-consult a lactation consultant and surgeon before the operation to help manage expectations.
Read Also: Will You Need Skin Removal after Weight Loss?
Tips for Successfully Breastfeeding After Breast Augmentation Surgery
Though many women breastfeed after breast augmentation surgery, it can sometimes be difficult. These tips can help increase your chances of having a successful experience:
- Choosing the Right Surgeon and Type of Implant Placement: If breast feeding is a priority, please discuss it before your surgery with your surgeon. Implant placement under muscle (submuscular) is generally less likely to affect the production of milk and breast feeding; however, an experienced surgeon should also use techniques that preserve the milk ducts and nerves.
- Avoid Incisional Scarring Around the Areola: Choose the incision making in less sensitive areas such as the crease under the breast (inframammary incision) instead of around the areola. Incisions made around the nipple may cause damage to the milk ducts or nerves involved in the process of breastfeeding.
- Ask a Lactation Consultant Early: Before the baby arrives, visit a lactation consultant; especially for you who have been worried about breastfeeding following surgery. They can show you how to get into position as well as the best position and techniques for a successful breastfeeding experience.
- Begin as Early as Possible with Breastfeeding: Start with initiating breastfeeding immediately after giving birth to promote the production of milk. Although difficult, frequent and immediate breastfeeding would suffice to establish a good milk supply.
- Monitor Your Milk Supply: Pay attention to how much milk you are producing. In the event of a drop in supply, consider pumping in addition to breastfeeding so that stimulation and production are increased.
- Use Support for Breastfeeding if You Need It: Difficulties can be solved using breastfeeding aids like supplemental nursing systems (SNS), which might have the extra bonus of enabling the baby to latch on better before breast feeding. This can direct both you and your child towards the right feed.
- Practice relaxation techniques: Stress and anxiety inhibit the milk production. A person should relax and bond with his or her baby to have a smooth breastfeeding experience. One should also spare time for himself and seek the help of family’s nearly relatives to relieve some pressure.
- Stay Hydrated and Nourished: Good nutrition and hydration matter in milk production. Ensure that you eat well-balanced meals and drink sufficient fluids that are enough for your body and your baby.
- Patience and Persistence: Never be discouraged because it becomes quite a hurdle when it comes to breastfeeding. Some women will need a little longer to build up their supply because of surgery. Patience and persistence are important. If there are any struggles, connect to the healthcare providers for further assistance and guidance.
Can Breast Implants Affect the Baby’s Health?
Breastfeeding with breast implants, in general, does not cause a significant risk to the health of a baby, provided that the implants have been placed appropriately and are neither damaged nor ruptured. Saline and silicone implants have been studied extensively, and there is no direct evidence that they release harmful substances into breast milk.
There are some important things to consider:
- Silicone Implants: Although there is some debate over the potential for silicone to leak into breast milk should an implant rupture, the FDA and other health authorities have deemed modern implants safe with generally low likelihood of rupture. In most ruptures, silicone is not considered toxic to an infant as the small quantity that would enter milk is not thought to have harmful effects.
- Saline Implants: Saline implants contain a sterile saltwater solution. If ruptured, the saline would be reabsorbed easily by the body and harm will not be caused. There is no evidence to suggest saline implants pose risks while breastfeeding.
- Implant-associated Complications: If such complications happen like capsular contracture (tightened scar tissue around the implant) or infection, they ought to be urgently treated since they may affect breast health and breast feeding. However, complication incidences are low and can often be treated by a health professional.
- Breastfeeding and Quality of Milk: It also showed that the quality of breast milk was not altered by breast augmentation in nursing. The milk that you’ll produce will typically be commensurate with either having augmentation or not, although some will have less milk due to the complications of surgery.
Conclusion
Breast augmentation surgery is an absolutely safe and efficacious procedure for the women looking forward to enhancing/sculpting along with improving the size or symmetry of their breasts. Cosmo Care, as being a specialist based out of Jaipur, I would say the importance of the individual consultation to address your specific goals and concerns.
Most women can breastfeed after the breast augmentation surgery; some things should be considered, such as that the implant should be placed under the muscle and the incision should be made in the skin fold under the breast, to improve the chances of a successful breastfeeding experience.
If you have any queries regarding breastfeeding or any other aspect of the surgery, kindly come to me before the intervention. Your health, comfort, and satisfaction are my top priorities and I’m here to guide you through it all.