Estrogen and Your Health

What Is Estrogen?: What is estrogen and how does it affect your health? If you're interested in lowering your risk of breast cancer,or if you want to understand how to prevent recurrence after treatment, it's important to understand the role that estrogen, and other hormones, play in your health. Get started by reading about estrogen.

Estrogen Definition and Functions...

Breast Surgery Complications

First and foremost there could be an allergic reaction to the anesthetic. General is considered to be more risky yet any anesthetic could bring on a negative reaction. Although extremely rare, it is possible to bleed post-operatively resulting in another surgery to control and drain the collected blood.  Another possibility is hematoma (a collection of clotted blood), seroma (a collection of the watery portion of the blood) and thrombosis (abnormal clotting). 

Loss of sensitivity is common, although temporary. Permanent sensation loss in the areola (nipple) area or breasts, in general, can and may happen. There is also a risk of excessive scarring or inner scar tissue. Also, you must have more views (films) taken when having a mammogram if you have breast implants -- especially overs.

Breast Self Exam

Healthy Changes Through Life: Doing a monthly breast self exam is the best way to stay familiar with the cyclical changes in your breasts. You will get to know the territory better than your health care team, and will spot changes easily. Having an annual clinical exam helps document your breast health, so keep a regular appointment set up for that! Between puberty and menopause, your breasts will go through many changes, which are affected by hormones, diet, and exercise. Most of these changes are natural and healthy!

Breast Implants and Breast Feeding

A lot of women ask if they can breast feed after Breast Augmentation Surgery.  The answer is a resounding yes.  For the vast majority of women who have a BA breastfeeding is no more difficult with implants than without.  In fact, some women who have breast fed with and without implants say that breastfeeding with implants is easier! 
 
Breastfeeding is a growing concern with patients who have had Breast Augmentation surgery.  In previous years, women who received implants were married and had already finished with childbearing.  However, more and more single women, and women who have not finished or even begun childbearing are having the surgery.

Breast Implant Dangers

3% suffer leakage within three years causing a deflated implant. Occasionally, breast implants may break or leak. The saline fill is salt water and will be absorbed by the body without ill effects. Older implants with silicone gel can leak also. If this occurs, one of two things may occur. If breakage of the implant shell that has a contracture scar around it, then it may not feel like anything has happed. If the shell breaks and there is not a contracture scar, then leakage into the surrounding tissue results in a sensation that the implant is deflating.

The leaking gel may collect in the breast and a new scar may form around it. In other cases gel can migrate through the lymphatic system to another area of the body. Breaks may require a second operation and replacement of the leaking implant. If the gel has migrated it may not be possible to remove all of the silicone gel. This silicone gel is the what some say is related to the initiation of connective tissue disorders.

Breast Enhancement Surgery

Breast enlargement surgery, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), was the fourth most popular invasive surgical procedure among cosmetic plastic surgeries performed in 2000. In a press release dated July 12, 2001, the ASPS says that breast augmentation was performed on 212,500 women last year.

Meanwhile, millions of women have been subjected to the ill effects of these modern day vanity contraptions that were bought in good faith.

Remember!! Silicone gel implants were banned in 1992 by FDA.

If you have (or had) a ruptured silicone breast implant, you will be denied Health Insurance Coverage.

Saline-filled implants tend to have a higher rate of leaking and deflation than silicone gel implants, which means more frequent surgery to replace them.