Chest Pain after Breast Implants

Patients who have undergone a breast augmentation surgical procedure should expect there to be a certain amount of chest pain during the healing process. Our staff at Jefferson Plastic Surgery cautions patients that this healing process can take two to three months; after this period, the implants can fully settle into their final position. Not only must the incisions fully heal over, but the pectoral muscles and surrounding tissue needs time to recover from breast implant placement. However, in rare cases, some breast augmentation patients may either experience chest pain for an exceedingly long period of time following surgery or suddenly develop chest pain years after undergoing surgery. There are several causes for this, some of which may be due to the implants, and others that may be completely unrelated.

Creating a Capsule

As part of the breast augmentation procedure, your surgeon will create a pocket, or capsule, into which the implants will be placed. This will be made from the surrounding breast tissue. There will be a certain amount of scar tissue that will form around the capsule during the healing phase. During this time, it is not unusual for the implants to slightly shift position. Chest pain or tightness is not unusual during this phase of the healing process.

Capsular Contracture

If too much scar tissue forms around the capsule, it may press on the implant, causing chest pain as well as implant displacement. Capsular contracture is more common with silicone implants and those that are placed subglandularly (in front of the pectoral muscles). If you are experiencing capsular contracture, you may require a second surgery to either release some of the excess scar tissue or remove it completely. Depending upon the severity, the implants may also have to be removed entirely and replaced.

Implant Leakage or Rupture

Although uncommon, silicone implants (with the exception of the new cohesive “Gummi Bear” implants) can leak or rupture, causing chest tightness or pain. This will be more common in older implants that have been in place for 10 or more years.

If a saline implant leaks or ruptures, it will be quickly obvious, as the breast will shrink to its previous size over the course of just a few days. Silicone leaks or ruptures can be more complicated, as the breast may not change in size, although the silicone will move into surrounding glands and tissue, causing chest pain. If you experience chest pain, hardened breasts, or an obvious change in the location of the breast, see your surgeon as soon as possible. You may need either an MRI or an ultrasound to confirm a leak or rupture.

Infection

Although infection following breast augmentation is rare, any surgical procedure does carry some risk of infection. Signs of infection will generally develop within a short period after the surgery. Along with chest pain, there may be redness and hotness around the sutures of the affected breast. Fortunately, our surgeons use the most up-to-date techniques in order to minimize the risk of infection, including handling the implants as little as possible and irrigating the implant capsules with antibiotics.

Although chest pain is part of the normal healing process, it should begin to fade within a few months following surgery. If pain persists, please call our office so that we can book a follow-up appointment.