There are different risks that the surgeon and the patient cannot control when it comes to going through breast augmentation. Making smart decisions is very important to lessen the risk of obtaining problems during the surgery because there are still things that are beyond their control. Being knowledgeable to what it takes to undergo breast augmentation before your surgery is important to understand as well as making wise decisions in order to give you better results.

The risks that plastic surgeons cannot control in breast augmentation

Since breast augmentation is a surgical procedure that requires some stitching, and even though you are in the good hands of the right surgeon, there are still things that are out of the surgeon’s control. Here are the risks that your surgeon might not control to give you an idea of how it might occur.

• Tissue Stretch
  Tissue stretch may occur when an implant is being placed in the breast pocket and result in the breast tissue stretching. This happens when the lower pole (portion) of the breast stretches, causing the nipple to fold. Eventually, the nipple will upturn causing the upper breast to decrease in its fullness. In fact, the cause of overstretching the breast tissue is due to the biological factors of the patient’s tissue. This factor cannot really be controlled by the surgeon.
  However, in order to prevent this situation from happening, it is recommended not to place an implant size that is larger than the suggested size based on the measurements of the patient’s soft tissue. Sometimes patient do not realize that their breast tissue are overstretched since it is only minimal but there are some cases where the tissue stretch is too significant and requires re-operation in order to correct the shape.

• Wound Healing or Scarring
  Since it is a surgical procedure, breast augmentation requires incision and stitching wherein there is a high chance of a scar formation. However, the scars from breast augmentation tend to heal well in most of the patients. Scars can usually be hidden through wearing a bra, bathing suit or low-cut top. Before the surgery, the patient and the surgeon will discuss which method of incision they prefer since this also has something to do with lessening the scar visibility. Always remember that the characteristics of the scar is normally determined by the patient’s tissue biology and that depends on how fast the wound is going to heal in each individual. In short, everyone has different biological body profile for the wound to heal and this cannot be controlled by the surgeon. On the other hand, there is no need to worry since most scars heal extremely well and fade smoothly. Also, every patient will be provided with after care instructions in their recovery period to help reduce their scars.

• Capsular Contracture
  The scarring may not only be visible on the external but it can also happen inside the breast. The human body forms a natural response to any object when a foreign body ie. the implant is placed inside. This results in the formation a scar tissue around the implant inside the breast which is known as a capsule. Normally, the capsule is thin and elastic so it does not affect the aesthetic result of the augmentation surgery.
  However, the healing process might be different for some people as the composition of connective tissue varies widely from one patient to another, and some people do not respond well to implants. For some patients, if the capsule is triggered due to infection or blood around the implant, the scar capsule will thicken and contract. When the scar capsule contracts, the implant will become deformed and causes the breast look distorted and firmer in physical form.
  This only happens rarely in which the breast may feel hard and painful to touch. The scar tissue that contracts closely around the implant. This can only be treated by removing the implant and scar tissue out from the breast and replacing a new implant.
  While it is impossible to prevent capsular contracture from happening to every patient, the risk of it occurring can be reduced by not using textured implants. Capsular contracture has been found to increase the risk of capsular contracture even though there have not been any scientific studies explaining how it causes capsular contracture.