[CDE Breast Primer] I had breast surgery... now my breasts are getting firm and milk is coming out

Hello, this is AB Plastic Surgery.

I will answer the questions you have been curious about.

Q. Hello, doctor. I have one question.

I had breast augmentation with implants 5–6 years ago, and I gave birth four days ago.

As my breasts are gradually getting firmer, when I touch them, drops of something like colostrum keep forming...

Is it okay to have breast massage or breastfeed?!

AB.

Hello. Before answering, first of all, congratulations on your delivery ^^

After childbirth, as breast milk is produced, the breasts become larger.

Even in the case of ordinary breasts without implants, breast size can increase after delivery, and congestion and engorgement can occur.

Basically, implants placed in the breast are usually located in a much deeper layer than the glandular tissue.

If the implant is deeper than the glandular tissue, it is called subglandular placement; if it is deeper than the glandular tissue and the pectoral fascia, it is called subfascial placement; and if it is deeper than the glandular tissue, fascia, and muscle, it is called submuscular placement or dual-plane surgery. Therefore, in all of these cases, the implant is placed without contacting the glandular tissue of the breast (the breast parenchyma that produces breast milk) or the milk ducts (the path through which breast milk passes).

Therefore, the milk-like fluid forming in your breasts is basically unrelated to the implant, and can be regarded as a physiological response that occurs during the normal process of milk production after childbirth. Of course, because there is an implant inside the breast, it is true that you may feel some pressure or firmness, as if the breast is swelling, a little more than when there is no implant. But that is not something to worry about.

In principle, there is no problem with normal breastfeeding/breast massage, so you may proceed.

However, before starting breastfeeding and breast massage, it is even more reassuring to confirm through breast ultrasound or MRI that there is no implant rupture before proceeding with breastfeeding.

Sometimes breast implants can rupture unexpectedly, and even after rupture, in the case of intracapsular rupture, there are often no particular symptoms, so the patient may not notice it.

At AB Plastic Surgery, we monitor progress before and after breast surgery using breast ultrasound. For patients who have experienced pregnancy and childbirth, we recommend having a breast ultrasound before breastfeeding.

When breastfeeding after breast surgery, it will be even more reassuring if you check at the hospital where you had the surgery or at a plastic surgery clinic you can visit to confirm that there is no implant rupture,

and then proceed with breastfeeding or massage.

We will do our best to help you achieve healthy beauty for our patients.

Thank you.

🍕 If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will explain in detail ^^