Breastfeeding With Breast Implants

Posted on June 30, 2014

Many women visit Fort Lauderdale plastic surgeon Dr. David Rankin seeking to enhance their breasts with breast implants, but they are worried they may have difficulty breastfeeding afterward. Although there is a small risk that undergoing breast augmentation cosmetic surgery will negatively impact a woman’s breastfeeding ability, it is not an issue for most breast implant patients. That said, if you are considering getting breast implants and plan to breastfeed after, keep the following information in mind.

Incision Pattern

Dr. Rankin offers patients three incision options in breast enhancement surgery. The first is the transaxillary incision approach. With this incision pattern, Dr. Rankin positions the incision beneath the arm, in the armpit region. With the second option, the inframammary approach, the Fort Lauderdale / Jupiter breast augmentation surgeon positions an incision underneath the breast’s natural fold, running lengthwise. Finally, with the third incision option, the periareolar approach, Dr. Rankin makes an incision around the nipple — on the areola, the darkly pigmented skin encircling the nipple.

The periareolar incision often leaves the least-noticeable scar, as it is located within the darker-colored skin of the areola. However, this incision approach also increases the chance of damaging the milk ducts located in the area, potentially restricting the amount of milk the mother can generate. If this happens, the patient could experience difficulty breastfeeding. For this reason, women who anticipate breastfeeding following breast enhancement surgery might not want to use the periareolar incision approach.

Type of Breast Implants

Breast enhancement patients may also worry that the type of implants used in surgery will have negative effects on the baby if the implants leak, or rupture, while nursing. They should not worry about this scenario, as the body can safely absorb the saline solution (i.e., sterile saltwater) in case of an implant rupture, so it will not affect the baby. In addition, studies have proved it is extremely improbable that the silicone molecules in silicone breast implants could invade a female’s milk ducts and be relayed to the infant.

In general, having breast implants surgery should have little, if any, impact on a mother’s ability to nurse. Nevertheless, if you anticipate nursing following breast enhancement surgery, tell Dr. Rankin, so he can recommend the most suitable surgical options to help protect your ability to breastfeed.

To schedule a personal consultation with Palm Beach plastic surgeon Dr. David Rankin to learn more about your breast implant options, contact Aqua Plastic Surgery by calling (561) 776-2830 or (954) 564-3832.