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Can I Breastfeed w/ 14 Year Old Silicone Implants?

asked 1 year ago by hristina in Europe
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 603 times
Tags: breast feeding, silicone implant, pregnancy

I Have Breast Silicon Implants for 14 Years. I Want to Get Pregnant. Can I Breast Feed? or I Have to Replace Them First?

19 answers to Can I Breastfeed w/ 14 Year Old Silicone Implants?

Breast Feeding with Breast Implants is Safe

Having breast implants or breast augmentation surgery does not preclude you from breast feeding. A consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon will help determine the status of your implants.

Frank Agullo, MD
El Paso Plastic Surgeon

www.elpasoplasticsurgery.com

Breast feeding with silicone gel implants

There should be no reason not to breast feed with silicone gel breast implants in place. Since 14-year old implants are approaching their life expectancy, patients should be examined by their plastic surgeon for evidence of leakage. Physical examination and an MRI are usually the best ways to determine if older implants are intact or not.

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Breast feeding is safe with all currently approved breast implants.

Women with Silicone filled breast implants do not need to have them removed if they are planning a pregnancy and want to breast feed. Previous breast surgery, particularly surgery through the nipple may have altered your ability to breast feed while other approaches rarely create any obstacles. The quality and quantity of breast milk will not be negatively affected by your implants. If you have been having any problems or recent changes to your breasts then consider a check up before you get... more

Mathew C. Mosher, MD
Vancouver Plastic Surgeon

www.drmosher.com

Silicone implants and breastfeeding

In general, there is no contraindication to breastfeeding in the presence of silicone gel-filled implants. Since your implants were manufactured for the European market, it is difficult to be certain as to whether or not they have maintained their integrity. If you are concerned, an evaluation by your surgeon and an MRI would be in order. If indeed, the implants are found to be intact, then you could certainly try to breastfeed without concern. Please note that... more

Richard J. Wassermann, MD, MPH
Columbia Plastic Surgeon

Can I Breastfeed w/ 14 Year Old Silicone Implants?

As long as you do not have problems with your breasts or implants, there is no reason that you should not be able to breast feed. Good luck with your pregnancy and bonding with your baby!

Amy T. Bandy, DO
Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon

www.drbandy.com

Breast feeding and implants

It is certainly possible for you to breast feed with implants. It is not essential to change your implants prior to getting pregnant.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Breast feeding with silicone implants

I don't believe there should be any reason precluding you from breast feeding after breast augmentation with silicone implants. The ability to breast feed may vary from patient to patient depending on the type of incision, location of the implant, and the amount of tissue manipulation during the augmentation. K. Jacob Cohen-Kashi, MD New York Plastic Surgeon

Kambiz Jacob Cohen-Kashi, MD
Long Island Plastic Surgeon

Good time to check your implants.

We now recommend periodic inspection of silicone implants. MRI Has been shown to be the most reliable test for this. The studies are old but they failed to show any silicone in breast milk of lactating women. There may be other reasons for not breast-feeding. Discuss this with your OB as well as your Plastic Surgeon.

Thomas R. Walek, MD
Providence Plastic Surgeon

Can I Breastfeed w/ 14 Year Old Silicone Implants?

Great question and concern. Since you are European I would seek a "complete breast examination" (MRI, physical) to TRY to determine the condition of your implants. Even than I might forgo breasting for piece of mind that "no" breast milk has micro droplets of silicone. From MIAMI

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Can I Breastfeed w/ 14 Year Old Silicone Implants?

In general breast augmentation with silicone implants does not preclude breast feeding. Nonetheless,with 14 years old implants I would urge you to ascertain the integrity of the implants. To that end I'd urge you to consult with your plastic surgeon.

Erel Laufer, M.D.
Tampa Plastic Surgeon

Silicone Implants and breastfeeding

Breast implants do not generally make breast feeding impossible. Breast feeding for many women is challenging, even those without implants. If you are at all concerned about the integrity of your implants, you can begin with a ultrasound. An ultrasound is inexpensive and quick and may detect a leak from older implants (where the silicone gel was thinner making it easier to see an extrusion). Newer implants have thicker silicone gel and are best imaged with MRI. Whichever study you get, be... more

Nia Banks, MD, PhD
Washington DC Plastic Surgeon

www.drbanksplasticsurgery.com

Breast Feeding After Silicone Implants

There generally is not a problem with breast feeding after augmentation even if silicone implants were used. The main concern may well be the engorgement of your already augmented breasts if you choose to breast feed. Most women have no problems if they choose breast feeding. I agree that you may wish to wait until you have finished breast feeding before having additional surgery, since there may be some changes in your breasts.

John Whitt, MD
Louisville Plastic Surgeon

Breast Feeding After Augmentation

Most women who have undergone breast augmentation surgery should be fine to breast feed after their procedure. Not all women, however, produce enough breast milk to adequately breast feed even without a previous breast surgery. The other concern is the integrity of your implants and whether they need to be evaluated for rupture. No controlled studies exist indicating if silicone is present in breast milk with ruptured implants, but there is normally no restrictions regarding breast... more

Vincent P. Marin, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.marinaesthetics.com

Breast feeding after breast augmentation

Whether you can breast feed or not is dependent on whether your glands were disturbed during surgery. Regardless, redoing your breasts is not going to help any change in your breast gland/duct integrity. Remember, that approximately 50% of moms who have not had surgery can't breast feed adequately and need to supplement with formula. You should have babies, finish breast feeding, all of which will further affect your breasts, prior to redoing your breasts.

Arian Mowlavi, MD
Laguna Beach Plastic Surgeon

Breast Feeding and Breast Implants

Having breast implants does not preclude you from breast feeding. You should discuss any specific questions with your doctors, but in general there should be no issue. Good Luck.

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

Can breast feed with 14 year old breast implants in place

Having breast implants that are 14 years old should not preclude you from breast feeding. A certain percentage of implants might have lost their integrity by this time so you may want to consider an MRI (which is most accurate in assessing break-down of silicone implants) given your concern. Mammograms are not nearly as accurate in detecting this occurrence.

Steven Turkeltaub, MD
Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

www.turkeltaub.com

Breastfeeding with silicone gel breast implants

The is no problem with breast feeding with a silicone gel breast implant. If your implants are very old, and 14 years is reaching the end of life for a silicone gel implant, you may wish to consider an MRI study, or even better if this is a convenient time, replacement can be an easy solution especially if the older implant is not leaking. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

www.peterejohnsonmd.com

Breast Feeding and Breast Implants

The current recommendations for new mothers with breast implants is to breast feed. Breast implants help fill the breast, so you may make less milk, but the milk itself is not changed. If you are concerned with the integrity of your implants, the best test for silicone gel filled implants is an MRI. Saline implants go flat if there is a leak, so no special tests are needed.

Joseph Mele, MD
Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon

Able to Breastfeed?

Thank you for the question. The presence of the implants in and of themselves will not preclude you from being able to breast-feed. However, it may be in your best interest to be seen by a well experienced board-certified plastic surgeon to evaluate the integrity of the implants at this point. This may be done with physical examination and/or MRI study. I hope this helps.