One of the most common elective surgeries in the United States is breast augmentation.  There are many reasons why a woman may seek to have a breast augmentation performed, ranging from simply desiring a change to seeking a different body image.  In some cases, this can even be due to a lack of self-esteem and a need to be physically noticed.  Despite its popularity, there is going to be risk involved when it comes to any sort of surgery, and those risks need to be considered carefully before you make your final decision.

Capsular Contracture - This is the reason that you may find that you are able to tell at a glance whether someone has implants.    This is due to the development of scar tissue in the area surrounding the implant, rather than a natural health problem that may occur on its own.  It is corrected by replacing the implant and surgically removing the scar tissue.

Breast Feeding - There are many women who dislike bottle feeding and choose to breast feed instead.  Breast augmentation usually does not interfere with the ability to breast feed once healing is over, but it occurs frequently enough to bear mentioning.  Speak with your surgeon ahead of time if you have any concerns.  He will be able to tell you what exactly the risks are, what can be done to help minimize them, and whether there are any additional options available that may work for you.

Cancer Detection - There is also a small chance that having a breast augmentation will interfere with a mammogram's ability to screen you properly for small lesions or tumors that would otherwise be very visible during the ultrasound or X-ray.  Just be sure that if you do have implants, you mention it to the technician so that adjustments can be made.

Leaking - When fluid leaves a saline implant, it is called leaking; if the implant is silicon, it is called rupturing.  If the implant is saline, the escaping fluid is quickly absorbed by the body, resulting in a deflated appearance in the chest.  Silicon, though, causes the surrounding tissue to develop scars, which results in capsular contracture, which is potentially painful.

Numbness - There is nipple numbness following about 15% of breast augmentation procedures.  There is no way to guarantee that this will not happen.

Satisfaction - How it turns out in the end may not be to your satisfaction.  A great deal of planning is done before the actual surgery is done, but a lack of satisfaction with the results remains a risk.

These are the breast augmentation risks that occur most frequently and need to be considered before you even start to consider breast augmentation recovery.  If you are considering an elective procedure that is not necessary for good health, it is important to weigh all the pros and cons ahead of time.