Breastfeeding after Implants?

When women visit me for a private consultation in my Delaware plastic surgery office, they often ask whether or not they will be able to breastfeed after breast implants, ie, whether breast implants will inhibit breastfeeding in any way.

Before I get into the details, here are some basic facts:

·       Not every woman can breastfeed successfully, whether or not she has breast implants;

·       An implant itself doesn’t interfere with breastfeeding;

·       What can affect breastfeeding is the location of the incisions used to insert the implants.

For example, an incision for placement of a breast implant can be made in one of three places: (A) under the fold of the breast (called the inframammary fold); (B) under the armpit (called a transaxillary incision) or (C) around the areola.

Incisions under the armpit or under the breast should pose no challenge to breastfeeding. An incision around the areola shouldn’t pose a challenge either, so long as neither the milk ducts nor the nerves are damaged or severed.

The nerves nearest the areola control two hormones that trigger the brain to produce milk; those hormones are oxytocin and prolactin. If those nerves are damaged, the brain may not receive the “signal” to make milk, or perhaps will make some milk, but not enough, in which case the woman must use a breast pump between feedings to provide enough breast milk for her baby.

I always advise women who have not yet had children to opt for the inframammary fold or the transaxillary incision, so as not to worry at all about any impact upon breastfeeding. I haven’t accidentally dissected any milk ducts or nerves, but it does make these women feel more at ease knowing it’s fairly impossible to have breastfeeding problems with either an inframammary or transaxillary incision.

There are a couple other caveats to getting breast implants prior to having children. One is that, after pregnancy or breastfeeding, the breasts may sag. An implant won’t prevent this sagging. The woman may need a breast lift following pregnancy and breastfeeding if the sagging concerns her. Further, if an implant patient should develop a nipple infection or mastitis while nursing, these infections can spread to the pocket under the breast wall that “houses” the implant and infect that pocket. This can lead to implant problems and perhaps even a need to remove the implants.

If you haven’t had children yet and are considering implants, be sure that you discuss these issues with me at your consultation to make sure both of us are in complete agreement about the location of your incisions.

Oh, and BTW, there’s a rumor that silicone leaking from breast implants could “spoil” the milk. There is no evidence that silicone could leak into breast milk in the first place, but even if it did, it probably wouldn’t harm the baby, as silicone is quite similar to a substance used to treat babies’ stomach gas.

So, the bottom line is that breast implants should not affect the ability to breastfeed or produce milk so long as the incision doesn’t nick or damage the nerves or milk ducts. Another reason to choose a plastic surgeon with a great deal of experience!

To your health & beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo