Do Implants Affect Breast-Feeding?

Are the mechanics of breast-feeding affected by the presence of breast implants?

The research is scant, but Dr. Marianne Neifert, a pediatrician and breast-feeding authority, thinks so.

“Difficulties in breast-feeding after augmentation surgery are something I believe I have seen for 10 years,” says Neifert, medical director of the lactation program at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver.

There are several possible reasons, Neifert says, adding that further research is merited.

One side effect of some implant surgery is a change in nipple sensation. If a nipple has little or no sensation, it might not send the cue to the brain to release milk. Conversely, some augmentation patients have sensitive nipples, making breast-feeding painful.

If the implant is inserted through an incision at the bottom of the nipple--rather than at the base of the breast or underneath the breast muscle--milk ducts can be cut, Neifert says.

Pierre Blais, a Canadian specialist in medical product design and failure analysis, has recently developed a questionnaire for implant patients. Women of child-bearing age are asked if they have successfully breast-fed.

Findings show that implants done near the nipple cause more problems--as Neifert has found. Blais also says some women have reported breast engorgement, which sometimes bursts blood vessels, causing milk discoloration and pain.

“On the basis of this very unscientific survey, there are difficulties,” he says.