Although breast implants have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for being safe and effective, there are a number of well-known negative effects associated with breast implantation surgery. Breast implants can cause loss of sensation and pain, along with negative cosmetic affects. They often lead to further surgeries with a higher chance of complications, and have been linked to more serious health concerns such as cancer. They can also affect normal functioning of the breast.
FDA Approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which states that its mission is to approve products that it has assured are "safe and effective," has approved breast implants for women undergoing augmentative or reconstructive breast surgery. The safety this approval represents, however, is relative. The FDA acknowledges that there a number of risks associated with breast implants, which one should be educated about before undergoing this surgery.
Quality of Life Concerns
Breast implants are clearly and frequently associated with change and loss of sensation in the breast and nipple, breast pain and hardening around the implant. These conditions can range from mild to serious, and often lead to another surgery. Although these things aren't a threat to health beyond their effect on quality of life, this is significant in light of quality of life being the only benefit of breast implants.
Ruptures and Replacements
The FDA warns that "breast implants do not last forever." Sometimes breast implants last for many years, but they have also been found to rupture after only years or even months. To restore the effect of breast implants, replacement surgery can be necessary. Surgery may also be necessary after the initial implantation due to cosmetic problems, such as an uneven result. These surgeries have a greater risk of complications than the first surgery. Removing implants rather than replacing them also will not restore the appearance of breasts before the surgery. Cosmetic changes such as puckering and wrinkling may occur.
Serious Concerns
A couple of studies by the National Cancer Institute, "Mortality among augmentation mammoplasty patients" and "Cancer risk at sites other than the breast following augmentation mammoplasty," have found links between breast implants and more serious illnesses such as brain tumors, lung cancer and suicide. Although it was found that these women tended to actually live longer than people in the general population, it appears this was due primarily to them have a strong baseline health and being able to afford good health care--as they had a significantly higher risk of these illnesses than those who had undergone other kinds of plastic surgery.
Other Concerns
Breast implants also make it more difficult for routine mammograms to screen for breast cancer, and can interfere with the breasts' ability to produce milk. Breast surgery can cause infections as well.
Tags: associated with, associated with breast, augmentation mammoplasty, breast implants, breast implants
