Birth control and breast augmentation. Have you seen issues in your own patients who stayed on it?

Oral contraceptives are statistically the most frequent cause of blood clots in young women. The risk of a blood clot increases within 4 months of initiation and then decreases to previous levels within 3 months of stopping treatment. Surgery itself is a risk factor for a blood clot and can add to the risk associated with oral contraceptive use. In general, the decision to stop or continue birth control is dependent on your surgeon and your own risks for blood clots. In patients at higher risk for a blood clot undergoing a higher-risk surgery...discontinuation is certainly a reasonable thing. OCs should be stopped four weeks prior to surgery.

The main problem with birth control pills and surgery is the development of postoperative pulmonary embolism. That is blood clots developing in your calfs due to these pills. This occurrence is very rare. If you decide to continue to use the pills throughout your surgery, you need to be aware of this unusual complication. Careful monitoring for pain in your legs and any trouble breathing post op would alert you to see your doctor immediately. Personally, I have not had any of my patients develop this problem.

Your safety is the number one priority during surgery. Remaining on birth control could put you at higher risk of developing blood clots. I encourage you to discuss your concerns with your surgeon about coming off of birth control as the surgery you are considering is relatively short and low risk. However if your surgeon insists that you should stop, then you must decide if the breast augmentation or remaining on birth control is your priority.

Dear vlu333,
birth control increases risk of pulmonary embolism. Every plastic surgeon has his own preoperative protocol which he recommends to his patients. I would suggest you to discuss this with your plastic surgeon.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

There are increased risks of tromboembolisam (blood cloths of legs and lungs) in patient undergoing major surgery while on birth control. However, short surgery like breast augmentation, healthy patient with no associated risks (obesity, history of blood cloths, multiple miscarriages), with proper intraoperative protection, should not present then low risk for DVT/PE. Discuss this issue with your surgeon again, please. Good luck.