Breast augmentation is a breast surgery, which includes the enlargement of breasts by using implants. Aesthetically, it is one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries in the world. But there are many aspects of breast augmentation that aren’t talked about openly. One such aspect is Weight Gain After Breast Augmentation.
In this guide, we review the aspects of Unexplained Weight Gain After Breast Augmentation, do breast implants make you look fat, bloated stomach after breast augmentation, and how to lose weight after breast augmentation.
Breast augmentation can enhance your curves and do wonders for your self-esteem. However, some women are unsure about surgery because they are concerned about weight gain. While patients can expect to gain a little weight over the course of their recovery, this is usually temporary and patients can enjoy their gorgeous results with confidence.
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Phillip Dauwe can give you information about breast implants and weight gain at an assessment in Dallas, TX. Whether you are ready to improve your appearance or minimize the effects of aging, Phillip Dauwe, M.D. Plastic Surgery has the experience to help you achieve your cosmetic goals.
Weight gain after breast implants
It is common for women to gain a small amount of weight in the weeks following breast augmentation surgery. Some weight is due to the breast implant material, but there are other factors to take into account. During a consultation with Dr. Dauwe, we can discuss your body type and health history together. This helps us determine how much weight you could potentially gain following surgery. The good news is that weight gain after breast implants should resolve once you resume a normal routine.
Other factors that affect weight gain post-surgery
It is important to rest during the first few weeks of breast augmentation recovery. This means you will remain fairly sedentary until our office clears you to resume exercise. If you do not reduce your calorie intake, you might gain some weight. Patients should listen to their bodies and avoid pushing themselves too hard to try and lose this weight. You can ask Dr. Dauwe about simple ways to stay active, including taking short walks.
Remember that the stress associated with surgery could cause fluid retention and swelling, both of which will lead to some weight gain. This will resolve on its own as your body heals. Phillip Dauwe, M.D. Plastic Surgery can prescribe some medications to help you feel comfortable during your recovery period in Dallas, TX. Compression garments and cold compresses can also assist with any inflammation.
Unexplained Weight Gain After Breast Augmentation
Breast implants can bring a lot of joy and self-confidence to women, but there are others that, unfortunately, experience breast implant illness which is a serious downside to them. Breast implant illness is a somewhat difficult topic to navigate since the exact cause of the condition is still unknown, and data remains murky. However, most plastic surgeons now admit that there can be an association between breast implants used in breast augmentation and several symptoms resulting from the body rejecting the implants.
As more studies are done on the subject, more light and understanding are being shed on the topic, which some patients describe as a mysterious illness with a quick onset of symptoms..
While most breast augmentation with breast implant patients tend to be just fine with the surgery, breast implant illness (BII) reportedly affects a percentage of patients. Here’s everything to know about BII and what to do if you believe it affects your breasts and overall health and well-being.
What is Breast Implant Illness?
Breast implant illness is a chronic condition often categorized by the onset of one or more symptoms following a breast implant surgery. While the symptoms vary from patient to patient, they typically include joint and muscle pain, chronic fatigue, skin rashes and anxiety. However, the exact cause of breast implant illness is unknown. Not every patient who undergoes a breast augmentation experiences these side effects. There’s no rhyme or reason why some feel sick after living with breast implants while others are perfectly fine.
Any time the body is introduced to something new, it either accepts it or tries to attack it. This can even happen with FDA-approved medical devices like breast implants. Although breast implants have been used in cosmetic surgeries for decades the recent onset of breast implant illness is affecting more women than ever before, leaving some weary of their breast implants and wanting to remove them. While some surgeons are on the fence about whether the illness is ‘real’ or not, others are actively searching and researching why breast implant illness may occur after a breast augmentation surgery.
How and why breast implant illness forms are still relatively unknown. Many theories suggest that the condition and symptoms arise from inflammation that is caused by silicone. But that’s not the only theory behind it. Others suggest the implants may bring out other diseases, cause immune responses, chronic inflammation, allergies, and even heavy metal poisoning.
Although some patients assume there’s a connection between textured breast implants (recalled a few years ago for other reasons) and breast implant illness, there’s still no hard evidence that connects the two. Breast implant illness seems to be more in the limelight than ever before, but the belief is that its first reported cases date back to the 1960s. Social media has brought more attention to breast implant illness, with dozens upon dozens of patients sharing their stories on various platforms.
No matter the type of breast implants used in surgery—saline, silicone, gel, smooth or textured—the potential for breast implant illness can arise. Still, breast implant illness is not medically recognized because of the lack of medical data. Therefore, the FDA has issued a statement with changes to breast implant labels so that all the content, warnings and information on the packaging are understandable to patients so that they understand and can discuss the benefits and risks of surgery with breast implants.
Those patients who choose to have an explant (a surgery that removes the implants) may find relief and improve their symptoms.
What are the top breast implant illness symptoms?
Several symptoms can be tied to BII, and each patient experiences something different. Some patients display one or more symptoms post-surgery, while others exhibit signs of nearly all the common symptoms.
These are the most common breast implant illness symptoms:
There are over 100 symptoms that are believed to be associated with BII, and some may be related to other autoimmune conditions and diseases. However, just because you experience one or more symptoms of BII doesn’t necessarily mean you have BII. The best way to determine if you are suffering from breast implant illness is to schedule a consultation for a thorough examination.
How common is breast implant illness?
It’s hard to pinpoint how many breast implants are affected by breast implant illness, but there is growing awareness and concern. While statistics are weak, hundreds of thousands of women have undergone explant surgeries in an attempt to alleviate their conditions.
According to the FDA, breast implants’ risk of complications or adverse effects is around 1%. Those complications aren’t the same as the symptoms of BII, but they can include the following:
Breast implant illness and weight gain
Gaining weight alongside breast implant illness isn’t uncommon, but it doesn’t happen to all patients. It’s also normal to put on a few pounds after a breast augmentation since the additional weight of the implants, extra fluid retention, and pausing on your daily workout routine can add additional weight to your baseline weight. Usually, most patients who gain a bit of weight from being sedentary after surgery lose weight once they resume their routine.
It is still unknown if the implants themselves or the symptoms of the illness are responsible for potential weight gain.
What are the solutions for breast implant illness?
A few options are available for getting rid of the symptoms associated with BII. Some patients find that removing their implants (an explant) alleviates all of their symptoms and feelings of sickness, while others only notice a slight improvement. Still, no scientific data proves that explant procedures are the ‘cure’ for breast implant illness, and some symptoms may still linger even if they are not as extreme as before.
The leading solutions for trying to alleviate the symptoms of breast implant illness include:
En Bloc Capsulectomy: This surgery involves removing the complete implant, scar tissue, and the uncut capsule that holds the implants. It’s also the preferred technique for addressing silicone leakage, too. An en bloc capsulectomy is different from a traditional capsulectomy because all of the scar tissue surrounding the implant and in the breast is extracted as one piece. The implant is also removed with all of the scar tissue surrounding it attached or all together (hence, its name). Removing the scar tissue and implant as one unit, instead of dissecting the tissue away from the implant, leaves less room for error. It’s also on the surgeon, to be honest and upfront, with the approach and technique that will be used since most patients don’t see the removed implant and scar tissue and therefore have no way of telling what was done.
Explant with a mastopexy (breast lift): This procedure involves first surgically removing the breast implants and immediately following, performing a breast lift. Implants can cause the skin to stretch and become lax and removing them can leave that skin looking stretched out and droopy. Also, if the breasts have naturally begun to drop with your implants, a breast lift can help lift them back to a more youthful and perkier position. By performing a breast lift alongside an explant, the breasts will eliminate the look of stretched-out, excess skin and the breasts will appear to have a more youthful shape and appearance. Some explant and breast lift patients also say their breasts appear fuller and rounder and the position of their nipples is more desirable since they, too, are often addressed in the surgery.
Explant with mastopexy and a fat transfer to the breasts: Removing the breast implants and performing a mastopexy and fat transfer is a unique implant removal solution for reshaping the breasts. After taking out the implants, a patient’s fat is removed via liposuction from an area where fat is abundant, like the stomach or hips, and then cleaned before it is transferred into the breasts. While the fat transferred to the breasts won’t result in the same amount of fullness and volume that an implant can achieve, it is an excellent way to add some shape to the upper part of the breasts without relying on standard breast implants.
While most patients concerned with the effects of breast implant illness may opt to have their breast implants removed altogether, a small percentage will choose to undergo an implant exchange and replace the older ones with newer ones. But, again, it’s still undetermined whether this will help improve any symptoms.
do breast implants make you look fat
Most people experience periods of weight fluctuation throughout their lives. For women, in particular, certain life events – including pregnancy – bring about inevitable weight change. If you currently have breast implants or are considering breast augmentation, you may be wondering how changes in your weight will affect the size and shape of your implants. Use this helpful information from award-winning plastic surgeon Dr. Saba Motakef and the expert team at Motakef Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Anaheim Hills, CA to better understand how gaining or losing weight may or may not impact the cosmetic results of a breast augmentation with implants.
What options do I have for breast augmentation?
The majority of breast augmentation procedures are completed using synthetic breast implants, the two most common types of which are saline and silicone gel. A third option, referred to as fat transfer breast augmentation, utilizes a patient’s own fat to increase breast volume and is often selected by women who prefer a more natural alternative to breast implants. During your initial consultation for breast implants in Anaheim Hills, Dr. Motakef will discuss your concerns and goals, explain the difference between saline and silicone gel breast implants, and help you decide which type of breast implant is best for you.
How long do breast implants last?
While synthetic breast implants are not meant to last a lifetime, most women can expect their implants to last for at least ten years or longer before a breast implant revision or replacement may be needed. However, there are certain scenarios and/or complications that may lead to the need for a revision procedure earlier than that, including:
Will losing weight make my breast implants smaller?
Unlike the results of fat transfer to the breast, which can be significantly impacted by weight fluctuation, breast implants themselves will maintain their original shape and size regardless of changes in the patient’s weight. However, this does not necessarily mean the cosmetic outcome of a breast augmentation with implants is permanent. Because there is a great deal of fat and other tissue that makes up the breast contour, losing or gaining weight can change a woman’s overall appearance, despite the fact that her breast implants will remain the same size and shape as they started. Furthermore, weight loss specifically often leaves patients with stretched-out skin that can cause the breast implants to sag, resulting in a different breast position.
How can I get perkier breasts after weight loss with implants?
If you have lost weight and notice that your breasts appear smaller or droopier, even though you have implants, you may be a good candidate for breast lift surgery. This popular body contouring procedure does not change the volume of the breasts or breast implants themselves. Instead, breast lift surgery aims to reshape the breasts and restore a perkier, more youthful breast position. For women who have experienced a negative change in their perceived breast implant shape or size after weight loss, a breast lift can be a fantastic option.
Feel feminine and sexy at any weight with breast enhancement surgery in Anaheim Hills, CA
Whether you have recently lost weight or are hoping to lose weight in the future but have concerns about how weight loss will affect your breast implants, our knowledgeable team has the answers and solutions you’re searching for. To learn more about the connection between weight fluctuation and breast implants, call Motakef Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to schedule your one-on-one consultation with Anaheim Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Saba Motakef today.
bloated stomach after breast augmentation
During the post-surgery recovery period, some of the most common questions our team receive are, “have I put on weight?” and “why do I look and feel so bloated?”
The truth of the matter is that symptoms such as swelling, stomach discomfort and distention are very common after surgery. The good news is that these sensations are only temporary. Phew! Post-operative bloating and swelling usually peaks 48 hours after surgery, but will mostly subside by the 12-week mark.
Why does bloating and swelling happen after surgery?
There are many reasons why bloating and swelling occur after surgery.
1. The lymphatic system has been disrupted
Swelling occurs in the body as the lymphatics have been surgically disrupted. However, it is important to remember that swelling is an important part of the recovery process and is essential for healing! The swollen areas actually contain white blood cells and proteins that are needed to heal the surgical area.
2. Functions of the gastrointestinal tract slow down
Anaesthetic, pain relief, antibiotics and other medications all tend to have a “slowing” effect on the gut. The often means that you will experience post-operative constipation, which of course can lead to bloating and discomfort.
3. IV fluids
During your operation, you will receive intravenous fluids to replenish your body’s fluids and balance your sodium levels. The IV fluid can cause some bloating while your body regulates its fluid levels post-operatively.
4. You can’t move around as much as usual
When recovering from major surgery, you are simply not able to move around as much as you regularly would. This decrease is mobility can lead to fluid retention and increase your swelling and bloating symptoms. Without being able to participate in the physical activity you usually would, you may even recognise a small weight gain. This is completely normal! Once you have the all clear to begin gentle movement and exercise, you will find that your weight returns to its regular state.
What can I do to help reduce the bloating?
Post-surgical bloating and swelling is mostly eased with time. Although most swelling and bloating will clear by 12 weeks, you may find that swelling ebbs and flows for up to 12 months after surgery. Some ways you can help ease swelling, bloating and stomach discomfort are:
Although it’s uncomfortable, rest assured that post-surgical bloating and swelling is a completely normal part of the recovery process and will subside over time. If you have any questions about your recovery process, please do not hesitate to contact myself and our friendly team on 4920 7700.
how to lose weight after breast augmentation
Most people experience periods of weight fluctuation throughout their lives. For women, in particular, certain life events – including pregnancy – bring about inevitable weight change. If you currently have breast implants or are considering breast augmentation, you may be wondering how changes in your weight will affect the size and shape of your implants. Use this helpful information from award-winning plastic surgeon Dr. Saba Motakef and the expert team at Motakef Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Anaheim Hills, CA to better understand how gaining or losing weight may or may not impact the cosmetic results of a breast augmentation with implants.
What options do I have for breast augmentation?
The majority of breast augmentation procedures are completed using synthetic breast implants, the two most common types of which are saline and silicone gel. A third option, referred to as fat transfer breast augmentation, utilizes a patient’s own fat to increase breast volume and is often selected by women who prefer a more natural alternative to breast implants. During your initial consultation for breast implants in Anaheim Hills, Dr. Motakef will discuss your concerns and goals, explain the difference between saline and silicone gel breast implants, and help you decide which type of breast implant is best for you.
How long do breast implants last?
While synthetic breast implants are not meant to last a lifetime, most women can expect their implants to last for at least ten years or longer before a breast implant revision or replacement may be needed. However, there are certain scenarios and/or complications that may lead to the need for a revision procedure earlier than that, including:
Will losing weight make my breast implants smaller?
Unlike the results of fat transfer to the breast, which can be significantly impacted by weight fluctuation, breast implants themselves will maintain their original shape and size regardless of changes in the patient’s weight. However, this does not necessarily mean the cosmetic outcome of a breast augmentation with implants is permanent. Because there is a great deal of fat and other tissue that makes up the breast contour, losing or gaining weight can change a woman’s overall appearance, despite the fact that her breast implants will remain the same size and shape as they started. Furthermore, weight loss specifically often leaves patients with stretched-out skin that can cause the breast implants to sag, resulting in a different breast position.
How can I get perkier breasts after weight loss with implants?
If you have lost weight and notice that your breasts appear smaller or droopier, even though you have implants, you may be a good candidate for breast lift surgery. This popular body contouring procedure does not change the volume of the breasts or breast implants themselves. Instead, breast lift surgery aims to reshape the breasts and restore a perkier, more youthful breast position. For women who have experienced a negative change in their perceived breast implant shape or size after weight loss, a breast lift can be a fantastic option.
Feel feminine and sexy at any weight with breast enhancement surgery in Anaheim Hills, CA
Whether you have recently lost weight or are hoping to lose weight in the future but have concerns about how weight loss will affect your breast implants, our knowledgeable team has the answers and solutions you’re searching for. To learn more about the connection between weight fluctuation and breast implants, call Motakef Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to schedule your one-on-one consultation with Anaheim Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Saba Motakef today.