Breast augmentation or augmentation mammoplasty is surgery to increase breast size. It involves placing breast implants under breast tissue or chest muscles. For some women, breast augmentation is a way to feel more confident. For others, it’s part of rebuilding the breast for various conditions. Breast augmentation might help individuals to enhance appearance if they think their breasts are small or that one is smaller than the other. It also helps one to adjust for a reduction in the size of the breasts after pregnancy or significant weight loss, correct uneven breasts after breast surgery for other conditions, and improve self-confidence.

There are risks associated with Breast augmentation including Scar tissue that distorts the shape of the breast implant, breast pain, infection, changes in nipple and breast sensation, and implant leakage or rupture. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established that there is a possible association between breast implants and the development of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), an uncommon cancer of the immune system. The condition is known as breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). The FDA believes that women with breast implants that have textured surfaces have a very low but increased risk of developing BIA-ALCL. However, that doesn’t mean that these implants cause BIA-ALCL. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between the condition and breast implants.

Systemic symptoms ― sometimes called breast implant illness ― may be associated with breast implants. The exact relationship of these symptoms to breast implants is not clearly understood. Reported signs and symptoms include fatigue, memory loss, skin rash, trouble concentrating and thinking clearly, and joint pain. Removal of the breast implants may reverse the symptoms. Research to determine the link and the cause is ongoing. Talk to your plastic surgeon if you have breast implants and experience any of these signs and symptoms. If you notice any changes to your breasts or implants, talk to your doctor. Ongoing follow-up visits and appropriate screening tests can detect and address possible complications related to breast augmentation surgery. Harvard