Breast Augmentation Complications
Post by glenda
Filed under Breast Augmentation
Breast enhancement is being increasingly used today. Once thought only to be something that celebrities or rich people had done, breast augmentation is now frequent among all strata’s of the general population. Whilst the finished surgical results typically work really well, improving the patient’s perceived outlook and lives, what must be remembered are the small but not irrelevant associated potential risks. This is after all surgery, a highly invasive procedure that requires the careful consultation and application of experts.
Breast enhancement surgery can lead to a whole host of complications, two of which are mentioned below:
Necrosis:
This is where injury and/ or disease kills off groups of cells around the implant in the weeks after surgery. Such an occurrence makes the healing of the wound surrounding the implant difficult. In the worst cases the implant may have to be removed to enable the affected area to be effectively cleaned and then healed.
Necrosis of breast tissue can be more likely if the patient:
smokes
already has an infection
uses steroids
undergoes heat or cold therapy
undergoes radiation/ chemotherapy
What can be left from a case of necrosis is large permanent scarring. Surgeons can apply silver nitrate (or other similar anti-infection chemical) to a recent scar that appears to be re-opening soon after implants surgery. The cessation of smoking is highly recommended prior to breast surgery, in particular when having a breast lift. Breast lifts need a larger quantity of incisions which can increase the chances of less than adequate oxygen supply to regions of the breast, further promoting the chance of necrosis.
Capsular contracture:
Any object inserted in a living human will be surrounded by a protective tissue lining frequently termed a ’tissue capsule’, ’scar capsule’, or simply a ‘capsule’. This lining is not identical to the regular scar tissue.
Capsular contracture is the most widely seen of the breast enhancement complications, although possible at any time it is most frequent in the first few months after surgery.
Breast enhancement surgery involves the cutting of tissue to create the hole for the implant to fit into. Once the implants are in this so called ‘pocket’ a very fibrous tissue develops, i.e. the capsule. Scar tissue is genetically programmed to shrink to a certain degree. In some people the scar tissue will not shrink noticeably, in others shrinking places pressure on the implants making them seem quite tough and rigid.
Under pressure the breasts can become physically distorted, later becoming firm and ball-like. What can increase the risk of capsular contracture are:
Patients that smoke
Past cases of seroma
Past incidences of haematomas can aggravate the capsule, i.e. inflammation, leading to the capsule contracting
Implants placed on top of the musculature generally have more of a chance than implants inserted below the muscles of capsular contracture
Pathogens present on unclean implants can lead to rapid contracture
A grading system is used to mark the degree of capsular contraction:
Baker Grade 1: The breast looks natural and feels soft
Baker Grade 2: The breast looks natural but is a little bit firm
Baker Grade 3: The breast looks slightly distorted and is firm
Baker Grade 4: The breast looks distorted and feels hard. A certain level of pain may be present.
When thinking about having surgical breast enhancement do really think about whether you need the operation. Consult your local qualified surgery and know the potential risks!
Alex Rider
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/breast-augmentation-complications-53666.html
My g/f recently had complications from a breast augmentation. Does she have a good malpractice case?
My girlfriend recently had complications from breast augmentation surgery. Does she have go a malpractice cas
After her initial sub-muscular breast enhancement surgery, my g/f complained of severe pain in her left arm. The pain increased throughout the day and was to the point that night where the max dose of pain medication was not even touching the pain. Her left breast was swollen more than 2xs the size of her right one. I called her doctor at 9:30 PM that night and he agreed to come look at her. After seeing her, he said he didn't know why her arm was hurting and that he didn't think anything was wrong, and that he would be back at 8 AM to check on her. At 5:30 AM, she passed out and became unresponsive. We calle 911 and the ambulance took her to the ER. It was determined that she had a Hematoma in her left breast, and emergency surgery was performed by her surgeon to correct the problem. Does she have a case of negligence, since the doctor said nothing was wrong when clearly she was in excrutiating pain and had such severe swelling? Shouldn't he have suspected hematoma?
This is a medical and legal issue. Don"t pay any attention to the advice you get from people who write to this forum. Get professional advice!
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Hematoma is a known complication of surgery, and was undoubtedly on the lengthy surgical consent form that she signed (and probably initialed each page of).
Not recognizing the hematoma might have been negligent, but you're going to have to prove damages, not from the hematoma itself, but from the delay in diagnosis. That is, if it had been evacuated at night instead of in the morning, something would have been dramatically different.
I'm guessing that you'd have a very difficult time making a case for that, and an even more difficult time finding a lawyer to take the case. Not enough money in it.
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