I subscribe to many feeds that feature the greatest and latest plastic surgery news. Much of it is smoke and mirrors, but every now and then there is a useful nugget of knowledge. Today I came across an article in the Annals of Plastic Surgery titled Breast Implant–Related Adverse Events During Mammography.
Breast Implant Leaking After Mammography
Every Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in practice long enough has had a patient call the office about a ruptured breast implant. Most of the time there is no clear cause, but sometimes there is a specific incident associated with the breast implant deflation.
Why Breast Implants Deflate
Mammography is a rare cause of breast implant deflation. In the case above, the deflated saline breast implant was replaced with new silicone gel breast implants (gummy bears).
There are many reasons for Breast Implant Deflation. The most common reason is that they simply wear out. There is no history of trauma, one day the implant feels different, and if they are saline implants, the breast loses volume fairly quickly. Sometimes an accident is to blame. It can be a car accident or a fall, but it is usually something memorable. A few times, patients have told me the deflation occurred shortly after a mammogram, but most of the time there is no clear incident.
Breast Implants and Mammograms
The percentage of women with breast implants in the US rages from 1-4%, depending on who you ask. With more and more women having Breast Augmentation, a few hundred thousand more every year, more mammograms are being done for women who have Breast Implants. So what is the risk of a mammogram rupturing a breast implant?
Breast Implant Deflation After Mammography
The article I read: Breast Implant–Related Adverse Events During Mammography, is subtitled, “An Assessment of the Food and Drug Administration Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience Database.” The authors analyzed over 20,000 implant-related adverse events. 41 events were related to mammograms and 35 of the 41 were deflations (16 silicone and 19 saline). Other adverse events included pain, swelling and a change in breast appearance.
Risk vs. Benefit
In medicine we are always evaluating the risks vs. the benefits of a treatment. The benefits of mammograms cannot be overstated. Early detection is the key to preventing breast cancer deaths. The incidence of breast cancer is 1 in 8, and a mammogram is still one of the best ways to find these cancers early while they are still curable.
The risk of Breast Implant Deflation after mammography is 0.17%, or less than 2 in a thousand. Unlike missing an early breast cancer, breast implant replacement is treatable and under warranty. Since the risk of breast cancer is 1 in 8, it is definitely worth the small risk of breast implant deflation to possibly increase the length of your life if you are the one in eight.
Breast Implant Replacement for Deflation
Breast Implant Replacement for Deflation is just one of the Breast Implant Revision surgeries we offer our San Francisco Bay Area plastic surgery patients. If you have Breast Implant Deflation or need Breast Augmentation Revision Surgery, call (925) 943-6353 today and schedule a private consultation appointment in our Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery Center.
Previous Post Next Post