Breastfeeding after Breast Augmentation

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons 2008 plastic surgery statistics, breast augmentation is the most popular plastic surgery procedure performed on women aged 20 to 39.

A large portion of these women still want to have children after undergoing breast augmentation surgery. This raises an important question commonly heard by plastic surgeons: Can women breastfeed after having breast implants placed?

In the vast majority of cases, yes, women can safely breastfeed their children even if they have undergone breast augmentation surgery. However, if the milk ducts were damaged during surgery, milk production may be affected. In the majority of cases, lactation is affected when patients have implants placed through the periareolar incision, or when implants are placed under glandular tissue.

If you want to undergo breast augmentation surgery but are planning on getting pregnant and breastfeeding in the future, be sure to talk to your plastic surgeon about your options.