How long after breast augmentation should you not get pregnant, how implants affect breastfeeding and how reduction differs from lifting
More than 70% of women are dissatisfied with the shape and size of their breasts. This is evidenced by data from a survey of British scientists among 20 thousand women from 40 countries. At the same time, not everyone dreams of more curvaceous figures - 23% of girls would like to reduce their size. Olga Mishutkina, a plastic surgeon and mammologist at Barnaul City Hospital No. 11, told Tolk whether implants can increase the risk of cancer, in what cases ruptures occur and why Angelina Jolie had her breasts removed.
How are implants and oncology related?
Discussions about whether implants can cause breast cancer have been going on for a long time, says the doctor. Research conducted by scientists and doctors since the late 1980s suggests that there is no connection between breast enlargement and cancer. Moreover, observations have shown that women who have implants have a lower risk of developing cancer.
“It cannot be said that having implants prevents the development of cancer. The research data can be explained by the fact that women who decide to install implants and invest a lot of money in their breasts more often visit a mammologist, have an ultrasound scan and carefully monitor their health,” explains the surgeon.
Back
Is there a connection between implantation and breast cancer? Any woman considering the possibility of changing the shape and size of her breasts with the help of implants always has a number of questions for the plastic surgeon. And one of the most important and frequent: what is the likelihood of developing cancer after mammoplasty? Let’s try to answer and at the same time dispel several myths associated with this most popular plastic surgery.
Breast cancer is considered the most common cancer in women: 16% of all cancer cases in the world and 19% in Russia. Risk factors that increase the likelihood of the disease often include heredity, hormonal imbalances, mechanical damage to the breast, abortion, severe stress, late childbirth, etc. However, the exact causes of cancer have not yet been clarified. It is not surprising that breast enlargement using implantation causes so much controversy and doubt.
Many years of expensive research (and the first silicone implants were installed back in 1962), which were carried out by various medical institutes and manufacturing companies, could not identify any negative pattern between mammoplasty and breast cancer. On the contrary, there are cases where scientists over a long period observed women who had this operation and those who did not enlarge their breasts. It turned out that the former developed cancer even less often. No, no one claims that implants prevent the development of cancer. The point is different - in the characteristics of the clients of plastic surgeons themselves. Mammoplasty is most popular among thin girls with small breasts, as well as among women who need breast correction after childbirth. Both of these factors are thought to reduce the risk of cancer. Plus, after installation of the implant, the fair sex begins to monitor their health more closely and does not miss regular examinations with a mammologist, thereby increasing the chances of detecting a tumor in the early stages.
Now about the features of the operation itself. Breast cancer develops due to the fact that glandular tissue cells, as a result of mutations, begin to divide abnormally quickly, thus forming a tumor that can grow into other tissues. Modern methods of installing implants are such that, with the correct surgical tactics, they do not affect the gland itself in any way, and therefore do not affect carcinogenesis. This can also explain the fact that mammoplasty does not interfere with breastfeeding.
Silicone implants are already the third generation used in medicine. They are covered with a reliable, durable silicone shell that will withstand both strong pressure and serious impact. There are situations when its integrity is still violated. But given the fact that the implants are filled with a highly cohesive gel, this eliminates the issue of gel leakage. For the same reason, it is probably possible to eliminate the question of the penetration of silicone into the body through the implant shell (the so-called sweating effect). By the way, about silicone itself: it is contained in many products that we use every day, be it deodorants, varnishes, creams, shampoos... So in the body of a woman after breast augmentation there is hardly more of it than a woman who washes her hair every day or fights with the help of antiperspirant the unpleasant odor of sweat.
Another myth is that implantation prevents the detection of cancer in the early stages. Indeed, implants may interfere with palpation. But even the manual method of examining the breast does not provide a 100% guarantee, and it is necessary to use more modern, high-tech methods (ultrasound, MRI). And silicone implants are not a hindrance for them.
What conclusion can be drawn from all that has been said? Most experts agree that breast augmentation and correction using silicone implants can be considered safe. But don't forget about prevention. Therefore, every woman should write down in her yearbook at least one visit to a mammologist and a breast examination: ultrasound and, if necessary, MRI diagnostics.
Make an appointment with doctor, Vardan Aramaisovich Arshakyan:
+7 (499) 99-309-88
Angelina Jolie is not the first
June 22, 7:27
“We are not cutters”: a plastic surgeon - about the request “like Jolie” and the difference in price
Why going to Moscow for new breasts is no longer relevant, what are the features of male plastic surgery and what you definitely won’t be able to change about yourself
About 10 years ago, Angelina Jolie had her breasts removed and implants inserted for preventive purposes - she had a very high risk of developing cancer. This operation - subcutaneous mastectomy - has been performed in Barnaul for several years now.
“Angelina Jolie once drove everyone crazy with this operation. In fact, she was not the first. For example, in Barnaul such operations have been performed for more than 20 years,” the specialist commented.
Such operations are performed for certain indications: a high risk of inherited cancer, the presence of multiple benign tumors, and even treated distant cancer in the adjacent breast.
“There are times when a patient, who has already had one breast removed due to cancer, asks to have the second one removed out of fear. This puts a lot of moral pressure, and women want to play it safe,” explains the doctor.
We do not perform such operations free of charge within the framework of compulsory medical insurance.
Features of the procedure
Breast implants are removed using the old inframammary incision, and the implant is removed along with the capsule. This is necessary so that its remains do not serve in the future as palpation and mammographic grounds for suspicion of cancer or the cause of the formation of tumors and fistulas.
To eliminate the stretched skin sheath, breast skin tightening (mastopexy) is performed with relocation of the nipple-areolar complex. At the discretion of the doctor, it can be performed simultaneously with explantation or delayed for 3-4 months.
When planning to replace an implant after removing the capsule, the surgeon pays special attention to the accuracy of creating a pocket for introducing a new endoprosthesis. Correct calculation will help avoid rotations and asymmetrical displacements.
The choice of implant for each woman is strictly individualized. Obtaining a result that meets expectations largely depends on the experience and qualifications of the doctor. After all, you need to integrate an implant of the required volume, ensure proportionality of the breast and harmonize it with the torso.
Reconstructive plastic surgery
The Altai Territory has a very high incidence of breast cancer. And women most often come to the surgeon without breasts, after a mastectomy.
According to statistics, about 30% of women with breast cancer have their breasts completely removed. 70% of patients manage to save it: they have the tumor removed at the same time and the mammary gland is reconstructed.
Often women turn to an oncologist already with the third or fourth stages of cancer, so there is nothing left but to completely remove the breast. Preservation of at least part of the mammary gland is possible only in the first or second stages of cancer.
In total, about 3% of the total number of operations are reconstructive plastic surgery (personal statistics of Olga Mishutkina).
How to prepare for the procedure
Preparation for the procedure begins with the supervising surgeon familiarizing himself with the patient’s complaints, studying her wishes, assessing their feasibility and the feasibility of the operation.
At this stage, the sequence of upcoming manipulations is discussed in detail, and an agreement is reached regarding the type and extent of surgical intervention.
The result of such communication is the signing of an information agreement by the patient. She is warned about the possible risks and aesthetic shortcomings associated with the upcoming reconstructive plastic surgery.
Then the patient must undergo standard preoperative laboratory and instrumental studies:
- clinical blood and urine analysis;
- biochemical blood test - recording the level of glucose, bilirubin, urea, protein, electrolytes, ALT, AST, etc.;
- tumor marker tests;
- coagulography;
- serum tests for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B and C;
- electrocardiography;
- Ultrasound of the mammary glands;
- mammography.
For individual indications, consultations are held with a therapist, oncologist, endocrinologist, and obstetrician-gynecologist.
Indications and contraindications
June 24, 7:27
Five years wearing a mask: one beauty procedure ruined the life of a woman from Barnaul
The woman’s problems began almost 10 years ago, when she came to a beauty salon in the hope of regaining her youth. Now she only leaves the house wearing a mask.
Some conditions, such as cysts (fibrocystic disease), may even disappear after breast augmentation surgery. It works as follows: most often, cysts form after breastfeeding, during which the milk duct expands. If a doctor places an implant under the breast tissue or under the pectoral muscle, it begins to put pressure on the glandular tissue. As a result, the milk duct narrows and the cyst can “evacuate” on its own.
Cysts, even multiple ones, are not a contraindication for endoprosthetics, says the doctor.
“Hospital No. 11 operated a mammology center for a long time; we were the first in Barnaul with such a profile, and we have our own research. They say that breast cysts decrease after implant installation,” says the specialist.
As for fibrosis - benign tumors - they are also not a contraindication to surgery. After cancer is ruled out, the tumor is removed during surgery and then implants are placed.
Breastfeeding and silicone
After endoprosthetics, you should not become pregnant for about six months, otherwise the shape of the breast may change for the worse. Then there are no restrictions. You can breastfeed with implants, says the doctor.
“The operation does not damage the function of the mammary gland either anatomically or physiologically. To maintain your shape during pregnancy, you should wear comfortable compression garments throughout the entire period of bearing a child and while breastfeeding. It is also important to monitor your weight. Among my patients there are those who, after endoprosthetics, gave birth to three children, and their breasts still look good; they did not undergo a second operation,” says Olga Mishutkina.
Removal and replacement of breast implants
Removal with simultaneous replacement of implants is indicated for the development of obvious aesthetic defects after primary mammoplasty. Such defects include:
- Capsular contracture
- Breast deformation and asymmetry due to implant displacement
- Explicit contouring of the implant
- Formation of a double breast contour
Contouring of the implant and the formation of a double contour of the gland can result from the installation of too large implants. To avoid this, surgeons recommend enlarging the bust in two stages with re-endoprosthetics. Pregnancy, lactation, rapid weight loss and age-related changes in soft tissue can also cause a deterioration in the aesthetic value of primary mammoplasty.
There is always a minimal risk of developing capsular contracture, but with the advent of new generation implants with a textured shell, this complication is becoming less common. Displacement of the implant, which leads to deformation and asymmetry of the breast, can be caused by both a violation of the arthroplasty technique and improper behavior of the woman during the rehabilitation period.
Lift or reduction?
If the breasts are sagging and a woman is no longer satisfied with their shape, a breast lift can be done. Doctors work only with the skin, and do not touch the gland tissues themselves. After a breast lift, the breasts retain their beautiful shape for quite a long time. And even breastfeeding, provided all conditions are met (compression garments and normal weight), does not particularly affect its shape.
However, this is an individual question: no one can promise that breasts will retain their shape forever after a lift. Repeat surgery may be required.
Reduction – breast reduction – is one of the most difficult operations in mammoplasty. Doctors recommend stopping breastfeeding after such an intervention. The fact is that during reduction, the doctor removes part of the glandular tissue, and the ducts may be damaged. The milk may arrive, but there will be nowhere for it to go, and this is fraught with serious complications, the doctor explains.
Why do implants rupture?
Implant rupture is the result of strong physical impact. For example, a blow. However, implant replacement is not always required urgently.
“One of my patients had an implant rupture after a fall from a height, but the connective tissue capsule that forms around the implant during the rehabilitation period remained intact. In addition, modern implants do not leak and do not saturate tissues. Therefore, we decided to wait until the fall,” the doctor commented.
A connective tissue capsule is formed from your own connective tissue around the implant during two months of rehabilitation. The body “envelops” the foreign element like a dense bag. This capsule is thin, but quite durable.
Preparation for the operation
Like any other surgical intervention, implant replacement cannot be carried out without a preliminary examination. Patients of the Beauty Trend clinic undergo a comprehensive examination, where all possible nuances are identified (allergies, drug intolerance, health problems, and so on).
If all indicators are normal, then the clinic’s professional doctors begin replacing the implants, which is carried out under general anesthesia for one to two hours. The incision is made depending on the situation - most often in the armpit or under the breast.
