Cosmetic Surgery in Boston: Breast Implants and Pregnancy
Breast Implants and Pregnancy
During consultation, Boston breast augmentation surgeon, Richard A. Moss M.D. is often asked questions concerning breast implants and pregnancy. One group of patients is that of young women, who still have their child bearing years ahead. This group wants assurances that breast enhancement (another name for breast augmentation) surgery will not preclude their ability to have children and breast feed. The second group of patients is composed of women who have had children. These women are primarily looking to undo the unwanted after effects of pregnancy and breast feeding. Not only are they looking for advice from Dr. Moss on increasing the small size of their breasts, but some also have concerns about breast sag. As reality sets in their first question often is “How soon can I have breast augmentation surgery after child birth and breast feeding?”
The following are the answers that Dr. Moss provides his patients. Written by the doctor himself, the information is straight forward and realistic. Dr. Moss is known for his honest and sincere manner.
“Women often ask what effect breast augmentation will have on future pregnancies. Once someone has had breast implants there are no contraindications to future pregnancy, however there are certain facts and guidelines that patients should be aware of.
It is my recommendation that conception of a child should be delayed 6 months after breast augmentation surgery which will allow internal healing to occur. This will minimize the risk that the milk that naturally forms in the breast during pregnancy will not find its way into the implant cavity. Similarly, if a woman wants breast augmentation after having had a child, she should wait 6 months after cessation of breast feeding. Even if she did not breast feed, all milk production should have stopped. This means that all women who choose not to breast feed should wait six months after childbirth before having breast implant surgery. If there is persistent milk production, then OB/GYN consultation may be required.
I like to remind my patients that a significant number of all women cannot breast feed their babies. If after breast augmentation, they find that they cannot breast feed; this does not mean it was the result of breast augmentation surgery. Also there is no evidence that milk from an augmented breast is in anyway harmful to a newborn.
Often patients will ask me what effect pregnancy will have on the shape of breasts once they have been augmented. Before I discuss the effect of pregnancy on augmented breasts it is important that readers have an understanding of what pregnancy and breast feeding does to breasts in their natural state (without breast implants).
It is well known that pregnancy and breast feeding will have a profound effect on breast shape in all women. Unfortunately, the final effects that many women have after pregnancy and breast feeding are not positive ones. While these women may have enjoyed larger firmer breasts during pregnancy and breast feeding, they often find that after milk production has stopped, their breasts have a saggy and deflated appearance. In fact women, who breast feed as opposed to those who choose not to breast feed, may be left with breasts having a greater amount of sag (medically referred to as ptosis). In addition, the breasts of these women who have breast fed may also have a greater amount of deflation (flatness). Sometimes a woman will tell me that their baby(s) favored one breast over another and the favored breast will have a noticeable greater amount of sag or be of a slightly different size than the less favored breast. The nipple may also be in a more inferior position on the breast that was favored during breast feeding.
This patient has had children and breast fed. While she had virtually no sag, she also has very little volume to her breasts.
Breast augmentation surgery provided this patient with much more attractive breasts. Because her problem was one of volume and not sag, her end result is similar to that of women who have never had children and have no sag to their breasts.
This patient has had children but did not breast feed. She had a slight amount of sag and wanted more volume.
For this young woman near Boston, Breast implants gave her more volume and more attractive looking breasts. The implants however, did not lift her breasts.
It is also important to note that women with large breasts (in the range of D Cup or larger) will often complain that after pregnancy and breast feeding that their breasts are larger than before pregnancy. In many of these situations the cause of their problem is that they simply gained a large amount of weight and never lost it after pregnancy. Many women with naturally large breasts have a tendency towards weight gain. Conversely, many of the women with small breasts have fewer issues with weight gain. While this is not universally true, it is often the case.
The effect of implants (before pregnancy) will not make the changes of pregnancy better or worse, but these changes will occur. Breast implants will not prevent either the changes from pregnancy, breast feeding, or the natural changes in breast shape that come to all women as they grow older. Women should note that if their “perky” augmented breasts show signs of sag after pregnancy and/or breast feeding, or the simple process of aging, a mastopexy (breast lift) can always be considered. This is the same surgery that a woman without breast implants would consider if she wanted a correction to the sag in her breasts. While many women desire less sag to their breasts, not all will choose to have a breast lift. This is because the scars that result from a mastopexy (breast lift) are fairly extensive and much more visible than those of a breast augmentation.
This patient has never had children. She has no sag to her breasts.
After surgery this patient has no sag because she had none before surgery. She also has much more volume to her breasts from the breast implants. Please note however, future pregnancies, breast feedings, and/or aging could all cause her breasts to sag. It is impossible to predict whether or not any of these situations would cause her breasts to sag. Even if she did not have implants her breasts could sag due to pregnancy, breast feeding or aging.
Women (without implants) who are looking to have larger and/or more attractive breasts after pregnancy and breast feeding will often choose breast augmentation surgery. For women in Boston, breast implants provide an excellent method of correction for breasts deflated from these conditions. However, when it comes to breast sag, I often find that I have to restrain a patient’s enthusiasm so that she has realistic expectations for her particular situation. Breast implants fill a woman’s breasts but they do not lift them. For some women this is all that is needed, particularly if the skin envelope of her breasts is fairly small. But for women with large, flat, and deflated pendulous breasts, both a mastopexy and breast augmentation may be what she needs to provide adequate correction. In almost all situations, I would perform these surgeries sequentially rather than together as I feel that I can provide a more accurate and predictable outcome.
Women who are left with two slightly different breasts after pregnancy and/or breast feeding often ask about different size implants. I tell them that different size implants are appropriate if in fact the difference is in the size of their breast. Often the difference is not so much size related but rather one of shape. One breast may sag more and therefore seem larger because it hangs lower. Or it may be that the nipple of one breast is lower than the nipple of the other breast. In these situations I would most likely place breast implants of equal size and evaluate the breast after six months for a possible breast lift. Generally I find that once the breasts are augmented the patient is satisfied and chooses to have no further surgery.
Often times during the initial examination of a patient’s breast, I will notice differences between the patient’s two breasts that the patient never noticed. I will always point out these differences because after breast implantation the patient may then notice these differences. We often find with our patients in Boston, breast implants can magnify differences and while I do not find that these differences bother most patients after surgery it is important that she be told in advance. Patients are much more accepting of imperfections if they realize that they were always there. They tend to look at these imperfections realistically. Very few people have perfect bodies and faces yet most of us are happy with ourselves. Cosmetic surgery including breast augmentation can improve a women’s breast but they may not make them perfect, especially if pregnancy and breast feeding have already been a part of her life.
I find that breast augmentation surgery is very popular and that my patients are very happy that they decided to proceed with surgery. I always suggest that they visit my website and then call for a consultation if they feel that they would like to further explore their options.”