What does dense breast tissue mean for a breast augmentation patient?

When a radiologist reports 'dense breast tissue', it protects him legally from missing a potential malignancy. What it means is that the entire exam was worthless because nothing could be seen past the opaque glandular tissue. This is why baseline mammograms start at 45; it simply isn't an effective or accurate test for young women. That was a waste of money (even if it wasn't your money), and unnecessary radiation exposure. As for how that correlates with breast augmentation results, it is very good news; the more muscle or breast tissue you have, the better your result. 

Hello,Dense breast tissue does not affect your overall result from a breast augmentation. This is mostly due to your age, most younger patients have dense breast tissue. This tends to change over time with breast feeding and hormonal changes as you become older. Dense breast tissue is really only used in mammogram "language" as it can make breast cancer more difficult to determine on imaging. This is not uncommon due to your age and should not be an area of concern. Best of luck on your surgery!Dr. Christine Rodgers

Dense breast tissue is composed of less fat and more connective tissue, which appears white on mammography images. If cancer is present, it also appears white on the mammogram. Women with dense breast tissue are considered to be at greater risk of having undiagnosed breast cancer due to this masking effect. However, 3-D mammograms take images from many different angles, so it can better detect suspicious lumps that radiologists will notice. Breast implants inserted below the chest muscle are less likely to obscure a mammographic view than those placed above. 

Thanks for your question. Dense breast tissue doesn't mean much if you are planning an augmentation. Depending on the configuatarion of your breasts and your anticipated dimensions of your implant, it can cause some contour irregularities in your final result (a breast sitting on a breast). The details of your examination matter and can only be determined by an in-person evaluation. For most patients, dense breasts don't matter much in terms of implant coverage. Regarding your age and having a mammogram; I'm conflicted. In my practice, I only advise mammograms for patients who fall into the recommended age groups unless there are unique risk factors in your personal health history. 

Hello and thank you for your question. Dense breast tissue will have no impact on the outcome of your surgery. I would seek consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon
for a full evaluation and advice. Best,
Pejman Aflaki, M.D.                                            
Johns
Hopkins-trained double board-certified plastic surgeon

Because I place the breast implant behind the chest muscle, the implant interferes less with your mammogram. With over 300,000 women having breast augmentations each year, most radiologists have experience reading these mammograms. Likewise, the placement does not interfere with a manual breast exam by you or your gynecologist.Dr Ted Eisenberg, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and AuthorRealSelf Distinguished Hall of Fame Inductee

Dear Jubilant2138,
dense breast tissue will have no effect on results of your surgery. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

This is a common finding with mammograms and will not affect your breast augmentation results.  

The fact that your breast tissue is dense will not affect anything regarding your desire to get breast implants. It’s simply not an issue you need to worry about.

Hi, thank you for sharing your question. The presence of dense breasts will not impact your ability to get breast implants nor the outcome. Consult with your board certified plastic surgeon to review your options and instructions for proper post op care. I hope this helps. Best of luck!