questions & answers

Yes! Women who have had breast augmentation surgery can breastfeed as easily as women who do not have implants.

It’s not uncommon for women to be concerned about their ability to produce milk after saline or silicone implant surgery, but these fears are largely based on outdated information.

Although today’s surgical techniques leave the mammary glands and ducts intact, older techniques sometimes created problems. Some surgeons chose to make the surgical incision very close to the nipple, because the pigmentation tended to camouflage the scar better. Because the breast ducts gather densely at the nipple, it’s easy to accidentally sever the ducts.

Another common concern among women considering silicone breast implants is the risk of their breast milk being contaminated by a leak. However, it’s impossible for today’s improved silicone fillers to mix with breast milk and be inadvertently fed to a breastfeeding baby.

Women who look forward to being able to breastfeed their children can feel confident that modern breast implant surgery techniques will protect their ability to produce milk.

If your ability to breastfeed is important to you, be sure to discuss the issue with your surgeon. He or she will ensure that the best decisions are made regarding the placement of the implants and the location of the incisions. For instance, the implant may be placed in such a way that it puts less pressure on the mammary glands.

There are no guarantees for any woman—whether she has had breast augmentation surgery or not—that she won’t have problems breastfeeding. But women considering breast implants don’t need to worry that their decision will affect their chances of being able to breastfeed their children.