Pain In Breast Implant When Lying On Side -

Pain in the breast implant when lying on side is a common complaint among patients at least 6 months after breast augmentation. Breast implants can be painful and tender to touch in the first few days after surgery but this should resolve within a few weeks. Pain may also occur after breast implants have been in place for more than 1 to 2 years. Why does my breast implant hurt?

In this guide, we review the aspects of Pain In Breast Implant When Lying On Side, signs of breast implant problems, why do my breast implants hurt 2 years later, and pectoral muscle pain breast implants.

Pain In Breast Implant When Lying On Side

I know, I know. When you finally got the breast implants that you’ve always wanted, you probably thought your days of pain and discomfort were over. Unfortunately, even after your surgery is done there can still be some soreness or pain associated with your new breasts if you’re experiencing it when lying on one side in particular. Let’s take a look at what causes this kind of discomfort and how to get relief from it:

Breast implants are meant to last a long time and require a minimum of maintenance or touchups. Unfortunately, you may experience pain in your breast implant when lying on your side. What is causing the pain and how can you get it to stop?

Breast implants are meant to last a long time and require a minimum of maintenance or touchups. Unfortunately, you may experience pain in your breast implant when lying on your side. What is causing the pain and how can you get it to stop?

The most common cause of this issue is due to an infection that has developed around the implant itself or in the surrounding tissue. This type of infection can be caused by poor hygiene after surgery (not washing hands before touching the incision sites), not following instructions given by doctors regarding post-operative care (not wearing supportive bras or taking prescribed medications) and/or using silicone gel filled implants instead of saline filled ones which have been proven safer for patients with allergies or sensitivities towards certain chemicals used during manufacturing processes.”

What Causes Pain In Your Breast Implant When Lying On Your Side

Pain in your breast implant when lying on the side can be caused by:

The implant rubbing against the muscle. This type of pain is often felt under the arm or in the armpit.
The implant rubbing against the rib cage or breastbone. This type of pain can be felt behind your shoulder blade, along with swelling and tenderness at this location during exercise or movement (especially when reaching over head). It may also radiate across to other parts of your chest wall such as between breasts, under them and even down into arms if you have wide implants that are not encapsulated properly around edges (see below).
Contact between skin/subcutaneous tissue overlying an area where there is no subglandular coverage (for example where gel has escaped) with underlying tissues such as bone or cartilage which can cause friction leading to bleeding from tiny capillaries breaking open due stress fractures etcetera so if you notice any unusual changes like new bruises appearing then consult with surgeon immediately before taking any action yourself!

1. You Have A Rupture

If you have a rupture, it’s important to get checked out by your doctor as soon as possible. A ruptured implant can cause serious health problems if left untreated–and even if it’s not life-threatening, it will still be painful and uncomfortable for you.

Ruptures happen when there is too much pressure applied to the breast tissue over time or due to improper surgical technique. You may notice that your breasts feel hard and lumpy when lying down on one side; this is because of air bubbles that form in between layers of tissue inside your body after an implant ruptures. It might also hurt when someone touches or squeezes around where they think their rupture occurred (but don’t worry–you won’t die).

2. Capsular Contracture

If you are experiencing pain in the breast when lying on your side, it is important to see a doctor. There are several possible causes of this pain, including capsular contracture. Capsular contracture is a rare side effect of breast augmentation surgery that causes scar tissue to form around your implant and make it difficult for you to feel comfortable when lying on your side.

Capsular contracture occurs in about 2% of women who have undergone breast augmentation surgery; however, there are ways for doctors at our practice in Chicago, IL to help prevent or treat this condition if it does occur after surgery.

3. You’re Lying On It Wrong

Don’t sleep on your side.
Don’t lie on your side for extended periods of time.
Don’t wear a bra that is too tight.
Don’t wear a bra that is too loose (if you’re wearing an underwire, this could cause the wire to dig into the breast tissue).
If you’re having pain in one particular spot after lying down, try switching up which side of your body has the implant in it; some women find that they experience less discomfort if they switch sides every few hours or so while sleeping or resting at home during the day

If you’re experiencing pain in your breast implant when lying on your side, discuss these tips with your doctor to determine what the problem may be.

If the pain is caused by a rupture, they will need to fix it.
If capsular contracture is causing this issue, they will need to fix it as well.

signs of breast implant problems

Breast augmentation remains one of the most common and popular plastic surgery procedures performed in the U.S., and it has a low risk of complications – the most common being breast pain, changes in nipple and breast sensation, scar tissue formation, and rupture and deflation.

However, a small number of women experience a compilation of symptoms that has come to be known as breast implant illness, or BII. Though we are still learning about BII, and it is not a formal diagnosis, several new studies are investigating potential causes for the symptoms, which are wide-ranging and very real.

More than 100 symptoms have been associated with BII. Some of the most common include:

Breast implant illness has become more widely known in the last couple decades as patients have increasingly shared their stories on social media. In April 2022, retired race car driver Danica Patrick posted on Instagram about her struggles with BII and her decision to have her breast implants removed.

While it can be comforting to find a community of people with similar symptoms as you, unfortunately, sometimes these channels help spread misinformation or unnecessary fear.

Many patients with BII symptoms can find relief without having to remove their breast implants. In some cases, the cause of symptoms is an underlying condition that affects the immune system or hormone production.

If you develop unexplained symptoms that you suspect may stem from your breast implants, talk with a board certified plastic surgeon. We will listen to you and try to determine what the cause of your symptoms are and connect you with specialists if need be.

Determining the cause of your symptoms

Symptoms can occur with any type of breast implants and can start immediately after implantation or years later.

Because so many BII symptoms are associated with other conditions, it’s important to rule out causes unrelated to the breast implants. For example, many similar symptoms are associated with autoimmune conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and Lyme disease. Hypothyroidism, menopause, and fibromyalgia also can cause symptoms similar to those of BII.

Our goals in diagnosis are to determine the cause of your symptoms and to make a plan to resolve those issues at the source. In some women, the implants themselves prove to be the issue, such as if the implant or tissues surrounding it stiffen, or if the implant ruptures. For many more, an underlying condition is the culprit.

Diagnosis starts with a conversation about what triggers your symptoms and the extent to which they interfere with your quality of life. From there, we may refer you to a specialist in areas such as:

If the specialists find an underlying condition, unrelated to your breast implants, treatment for that condition should relieve or eliminate your symptoms. If no underlying conditions are found, we’ll discuss potential next steps, such as removing your implants.

Deciding whether to remove your breast implants

Choosing to remove your breast implants is just as big a decision as it was to get them, and yet more women made that decision in 2021 than in previous years. According to statistics from The Aesthetic Society, 148,000 women had implants removed and replaced (up 32% from 2020), and 71,000 had their implants removed and not replaced (up 47%), though it’s unclear what role if any BII played in the increase.

If you’re unhappy with the size or shape of your implants, or if you’ve developed a complication such as capsular contracture – the formation of hard, stiff scar tissue around the implant – the decision to remove them may reduce your symptoms.

But if you are satisfied with your appearance and your symptoms are systemic, rather than directly associated with the breasts, the decision can be more difficult. Even if BII symptoms resolve after implant removal, adjusting to changes in your appearance can be challenging.

Your plastic surgeon will discuss all options with you to help you make the best decision.

Clearing up common myths related to BII

There are many websites and social media groups dedicated to breast implant illness. And it’s not unusual for patients to tell us they read or saw something that worries them in one of these communities. We’d like to address a couple of the more common concerns.

Sagging skin after implant removal: There are a lot of people who post photos of themselves after having their implants removed. These photos are usually of women who had very large – 400cc or 500cc – implants removed, leaving excessive, sagging skin behind. Images like these can cause unnecessary anxiety.

Transferring fat to the breast from elsewhere in the body can help restore some volume after implant removal. Though your breasts likely will not be as full as they were with implants, this process can provide a pleasing appearance and a less dramatic transition.

“Only one right” way to remove implants: There are several methods to safely remove breast implants:

However, many social communities say that only specific procedures – notably en-bloc capsulectomy – will eliminate BII symptoms. This is untrue, and there are situations in which that procedure could cause more problems. For example, if the capsule is stuck to the chest wall, taking it all out could cause a pneumothorax, or air to leak into the space between the lungs and chest wall. In this case, we can take out most of the capsule and cauterize the patch that’s against the ribcage.

Additionally, removing the capsule and implant together (en-block) may require a longer incision, especially for women who have only had an augmentation and not a breast lift plus augmentation.

Current research and action related to BII

Research is under way to determine the degree to which certain symptoms are directly caused by breast implants and what effect, if any, removal has on those symptoms.

A study published in December 2021 found that the type of breast implant removal performed did not affect the reduction of breast implant illness symptoms.

Part two of this study investigated concerns, expressed on some BII websites, that the presence of heavy metals in silicone and saline breast implant capsules are a primary cause of systemic symptoms and health problems. More than 20 heavy metals were studied and some participants with BII symptoms had statistically higher levels of arsenic and zinc in their breast implant capsules compared with participants who didn’t exhibit BII symptoms. But the measured levels were all below what is considered acceptable exposure levels by regulatory agencies.

Also, the research confirmed that fewer heavy metals were detected in breast implant capsules than in breast tissue from patients who never had implants. Among participants with BII symptoms, there was a higher number of current or former smokers using tobacco and marijuana and a greater number of women with gluten allergies, suggesting that environmental exposure and personal choices related to cigarette smoking, marijuana use, tattoo pigments, and dietary sources may be the source of a BII patient’s exposure to heavy metals.

Based on this research, heavy metal toxicity should not sway a patient’s decision to remove her breast implants.

Finally, it’s important to note that a BII task force has been established within The Aesthetic Society to conduct research and follow new breast implant patients for more than 10 years in hopes of establishing more definitive data and finding more answers for patients and providers.

We understand it can be extremely frustrating to feel unwell without a specific diagnosis – especially after you’ve been through one or more major breast surgeries. Our breast plastic surgery and specialist teams work together, dedicated to providing you with evidence-based care that will get you to the ultimate goal of feeling better.

If you experience symptoms or complications that you suspect may be related to breast implants, call 214-645-8300 or request an appointment online.

A breakthrough in breast reconstruction at UTSW

When Renee Mallonee found out she was BRCA2 positive and her lifetime risk of breast cancer was high, she took the news very seriously. After 15 years of screenings and tests every six months, in 2020 she turned to UT Southwestern and became the first patient in the United States to receive a single port robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy.

why do my breast implants hurt 2 years later

Pain is an expected side effect of having breast implants. The fact that the plastic surgeon performing the procedure needs to make cuts in your skin, however small and unnoticeable they may be, means it is likely to hurt around the area.

But what if your breast implants are hurting years after having your procedure? In this post, we’ll discuss potentially what it means when your breast implants hurt in both the short term and the long term.

Why Are My Breast Implants Hurting?

Your breast implants could be hurting for several reasons – and pain is more common than you think, affecting 38% of women who have breast augmentation – ranging from minor issues like strained muscles to more serious problems like suffering from capsular contracture.

As there are so many reasons why your breast implants may hurt, we will take a look at this in greater detail…

Alternatively, if you are worried and would like your implants checked now, contact us today and book your consultation with our plastic surgeons who will be happy to assess you.

It’s fair to say that breast augmentation surgery has come a long way and for the most part, breast implant procedures are generally only minimally invasive.

However, there still needs to be incisions made to give the surgeon enough space to insert your breast implants.

Therefore, following the procedure, the area where the incisions were made and the surrounding area are likely to be delicate and sore.

You should be able to combat that pain with over-the-counter medication. Additionally, your doctor may prescribe pain relief medication to help you recover.

The only reason you should be worried about this kind of pain is if it lasts for several weeks following surgery, if it is very severe or if there are any signs of infection around the incision site.

As well as pain at and around the incision site, you may also feel itchiness or irritation. This is a normal side effect of the skin going through the natural healing process.

There is nothing to worry about if there are no signs of infection like pus or swelling.

If the level of irritation you are experiencing is unusually severe, you should speak to your doctor.

While it’s true that saline breast implants and silicone breast implants are lightweight, immediately following your breast augmentation surgery you are carrying an extra load on your chest.

This can strain some of your chest muscles. A more important issue is the fact that breast implants take up an increased amount of space around the area of your chest.

This is worth noting as it can cause musculoskeletal complications. If this is the case, the pain you experience will be more focused around and towards your nipple.

A more serious cause of breast implant pain is necrosis. Necrosis occurs when blood flow to the area is restricted, causing a lack of oxygen which can result in the death of breast tissue.

A key symptom to look out for that could indicate necrosis is a change in your skin colour around the area from blue, through to purple then black.

If you notice a change in the colour of the skin around your implant, you must get to your doctor as soon as possible to reduce the potential damage and long-term health risks.

Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)

If you are experiencing symptoms like rashes, seizures, or a sudden fever, it could be that you are suffering from Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).

This bacterial infection is potentially life-threatening if it is left untreated. Therefore, you need to go and see your doctor if you think there may be a chance you are suffering from TSS.

Serous fluid, a liquid that is secreted following breast implant surgery, can gather around the incision area.

If there is an excessive amount of serous fluid, it can develop into a lump that is known as a seroma.

This lump can be painful to touch and even have a burning sensation. You need to pay very close attention to how your wound heals and monitor any changes in skin texture that may indicate a seroma.

. If you suspect you have a seroma, you can speak to your plastic surgeon who will drain the lump to eliminate the breast pain you are experiencing.

You will know you have a hematoma if you have what looks like bruises, swelling and a feeling of tenderness.

This is caused by the blood from the site of the incisions pooling and clotting into nearby tissues.

This causes small lumps to develop. Your doctor will check for any abnormal lumps in and around your breasts after your breast implant procedure because it can indicate more serious conditions.

However, a lot of hematomas tend to disappear in time without requiring treatment.

Following your breast implant surgery, the lymph nodes present in your armpits may feel painful or experience swelling.

This can be caused by the incision site or breast tissue being infected. There is a chance that the lymph nodes were damaged during your breast implant surgery.

If you think your breast implant pain is caused by an increase in the hardness of either one or both of the breasts, you may be suffering from capsular contracture.

Many women experience this post-breast surgery. Capsular contracture is a serious condition that is caused by breast scar tissue tightening around the implants and can happen at any time following breast augmentation surgery.

If you are already suffering from an infection around the incision site, it could increase how quickly dissolvable sutures break down.

When they disappear before your incision site is healed fully, either side of the wound will start to pull apart. This is referred to as wound dehiscence.

It is often caused by doing strenuous activities or lifting heavy objects too soon following surgery.

Pectoral Muscle Pain Breast Implants

It’s not unusual for patients to complain of tightness of the chest following breast augmentation surgery. This tightness is related to spasm of the chest wall muscles and swelling of the adjacent soft tissue. It’s more common when implants are placed beneath the muscles, but can occur with sub glandular placement as well.

In an effort to minimize these symptoms, a variety of strategies have been utilized. Swelling is managed with compression devices and support bras. Although swelling can be significant in the early post-operative period, it tends to resolve rapidly.

Chest wall tightness can also result from spasm of the chest wall muscles. When this occurs, muscle relaxants and massage are helpful. Massage of the back helps relax the anterior chest wall muscles. These muscles are connected by layers of fibrous tissue and for this reason; massage of the back can help alleviate spasm in the frontal muscles which cover the breast implants.

With time, these symptoms improve and patients are ultimately happy. If you have tightness following breast augmentation, make sure you discuss the issue with your plastic surgeon.

Pain In Breast Implant When Lying On Side