Do Breast Implants Prevent Breastfeeding?

Women who are considering to have a breast augmentation surgery may also be considering to have a child and breastfeed in the future. Therefore, it becomes a subject of interest if breast augmentation surgeries interfere breastfeeding or not. Various factors related to breast augmentation surgeries can affect breastfeeding. These factors can be summarized as: The surgical technique, the plane where implants are placed in, scar tissur formation in inner breast tissue, the amount of glandular tissue before and after the surgery and the nipple sensitivity.

Nipple sensation is one of the necessities for breastfeeding. The nipples need to have sensations for milk production and delivery. There can be temporary or permanent loss in nipple sensation after a breast augmentation surgery. Depending on the patient’s anatomy and the surgical technique, the amount and the permanence of this differ. Also, to able to breast feed, the milk ducts, nerves and milk glands need to be intact and not permanently damaged by the surgery. For example, in breast augmentation surgeries which involve incisions being made around the nipples, these situations can be more seen.  In breast augmentation surgeries which are performed with inframmary fold or axillary incisions, they are seen less. Also transumbilical breast augmentation surgeries can have a higher rate than these two techniques. The nipple sensation may not be affected by a breast augmentation surgery at all. Sometimes diminished sensation or total loss of sensation can be experienced temporarily. Sometimes diminished sensation or total loss of sensation can be experienced permanently. Similiarly, if nerves and glandular tissue get damaged during a breast augmentation surgery, they can heal and the ability to breastfeed can be regained. And sometimes they may not heal and the ability to breastfeed can be lost permanently.

The capacity to breastfeed can also be affected by the planes in which the implants are placed. Placement of the implants under the chest muscle or in the subfascial plane is more effective in terms of preserving the ability to breastfeed. Subglandular placement of the implants can negatively affect the ability to breastfeed.

Generally speaking, if the patient’s anatomy allows it, it can be said that breast implants do not prevent breastfeeding. If you specifically wish to preserve your ability to breastfeed after a breast augmentation surgery, you should inform your doctor about this and discuss this subject before the surgery. In the light of a physical examination, if your anatomy is suitable, your doctor will inform you about the options on how to get the results you want and preserve your ability to breastfeed.