If you are considering having breast augmentation cosmetic surgery then naturally you may have a number of health concerns/questions regarding breast implants. This blog post is written to answer a few of the common health questions that women have regarding breast augmentation.

• Will I be able to breast feed after having breast augmentation surgery?

Many women are concerned that if they have breast implants, then they will not be able to breast feed. However breast augmentation should not affect a woman’s ability to breast feed as the breast implants are placed below the breast gland. Therefore if you were able to produce breast milk before you breast enlargement surgery, then you should be able to do so afterwards. However please inform your surgeon that you intend to breast feed as this can affect the type of surgery that you should have.
A large number of studies have also been done to investigate whether there is any risk associated with breast feeding to the baby after having breast enlargement surgery. All of the studies have shown that there is no evidence that silicone breast implants do any harm to the baby and that it is safe to breastfeed after having a breast augmentation.

• Do breast implants increase the chance of breast cancer?

No. A number of studies have been done to investigate any correlation between breast implants and breast cancer. The studies have found that there is no associated risk between breast implants and breast cancer. In fact some studies show that having breast augmentation can actually slightly lower the incidence of breast cancer. This is due to the fact that having breast augmentation lowers the amount of breast tissue that a woman has and hence there is less breast tissue which can become malignant.  
However please note that you will still require having mammograms, ultrasound and MRI scans in the future as part of your routine breast cancer screen. When going for a breast cancer screen make sure you inform your doctor or radiographer that you have had breast implant cosmetic surgery as this will allow them to adjust the scanning procedure accordingly. Breast implants however do not impair the ability of the scans to detect breast cancer.

The Hurlingham Clinic based in London is one of UK’s leading breast augmentations clinics. If you are considering having breast enlargement cosmetic surgery then The Hurlingham Clinic can be contacted on 020 7238 6385 for a consultation.