Breast Implants and Breast Feeding
Many women contemplating Breast Augmentation surgery
want to know if they will be able to breast feed
future babies after the surgery. The answer, in most
cases, is "Yes". For most women who have had this
type of surgery, breastfeeding is no more
difficult with implants than without.
Today, breastfeeding is a growing concern with
patients who are considering opting for Breast
Augmentation surgery. In earlier years, women who
opted for surgical insertion of breast implants
tended to be older, married women who had
finished with childbearing. However, these days more
and more single women, and young women, who have not
finished or even started to have children, are
considering breast augmentation
surgery.
Reports of a silicone-induce illness first appeared
in 1992. At that time fear developed that
breastfeeding with silicone implants might endanger
the health of the child. Subsequently, there have been studies
to check out this possibility and these studies have
conclusively shown that there is no such danger to
children who are breast-fed by women with implants. The main reason
for this is that
silicone molecules cannot pass into the milk
ducts as these molecules are too large.
Subsequently, saline implants have replaced silicone
ones for general use. With these implants, safety
levels are higher because, even if the saline does leach into the
milk, it is an inert substance which can do no harm
to the mother or to the baby being breast-fed.
There is a view that the location of the incision
and placement position of the implants are of
importance in relation to safe breast feeding. This
view holds that the optimum placement of the
implants is under the muscle, and that peri-aerolar
incision should be avoided. The reasoning is that,
with this procedure, there will be minimum
interference with the milk ducts since these are
located directly under the skin and in the tissue
above the breast muscle. However, this not an
absolute truth. There are many women who have had
incisions and implant placements in positions other
than what is considered optimum and who are able to
breast feed entirely succesfully.
FDA Breast Implant Consumer Handbook - 2004
The FDA, in their handbook, states:
" Women of childbearing
age should know that they may not be able to breast
feed after breast implantation. Some women who
undergo breast augmentation can successfully breast
feed and some cannot. Women who undergo a mastectomy
will be unable to breast feed on the affected side
due to loss of breast tissue and glands that produce
milk.
The IOM report47
said that women with either silicone gel-filled or
saline-filled breast implants showed lactation
insufficiency (not enough milk) ranging from 28-64%.
The periareolar approach (incision site is around
the nipple) was the factor most associated with
lactation insufficiency.
Having a breast implant may also influence a
woman's decision about whether or not she will try
to breast feed, particularly if she has capsular
contracture or is worried about problems with the
implants.48"
Consultation with Surgeon
It is very important to discuss your plans for
future breastfeeding your babies at the time of your
consultation. Your surgeon will be able to work with
you, to get the best possible results, even if you
are not planning on having children in the near
future.
Breastfeeding remains the preferred method of
feeding a baby, as recommended by the American
Academy of Pediatrics.
Alternative Breast Enlargement Methods
These days many better-informed women prefer to
avoid the possible complications associated with
breast feeding after breast augmentation surgery.
These women consider natural, non-surgical breast
enhancement the better option by far.
Natural breast enhancement techniques have
developed enormously in recent years and are now
proven to be highly effective, safe and free of all
side-effects -
Breast Actives by Breast Gain Plus
47Safety
of Silicone Breast Implants. Institute of Medicine
National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. 2000. {IOM
Report}. Also available through IOM website at
www.iom.edu.
48Strom SS, Baldwin BJ, Sigurdson AJ,
Schusterman MA. Cosmetic saline breast implants: a
survey of satisfaction, breast-feeding experience,
cancer screening, and health. Plast Reconstr Surg
1997;100:1553-1557
|
