Houston Plastic Surgery Blog

Breast augmentation is surgery, and all surgery carries risk. Dr. Leo Lapuerta makes safety a central concern and uses his skill and that of his cosmetic surgery staff to ensure that his patients receive the best results with a minimum of risk.

Still, understanding risks is an important part of making your decision to have breast augmentation surgery. The most common risks associated with breast augmentation are:

Poor cosmetic result--Dr. Lapuerta's breast augmentation patients generally receive good results from their surgery, as you can see in the before and after gallery, but it is impossible to guarantee results

Breast pain--although most patients recover from the initial operation within a week and feel completely back to normal within a month, a small number of patients experience lasting pain the breast

Changes in nipple/breast sensation--many women report that their breasts feel slightly different after the implant procedure, but in rare instances the change can be significant, including a complete loss in nipple sensation

Capsular contracture--following breast implant placement, the body forms a scar capsule around it. This is normal, but in some instances the capsule can contract, making the breast hard and tender.

Dr. Lapuerta can discuss all these risks with you and talk about how to minimize them. A number of factors that can influence your risk of these complications include: implant selection, including fill (saline or silicone) and size; implant placement choice, and incision location. Also important is following all of Dr. Lapuerta's postoperative instructions.

If you would like to learn more in order to make an informed risk/benefit-based decision, schedule a breast augmentation consultation with Dr. Lapuerta at the Plastic Surgery Institute of Southeast Texas today.