Preconditions and Risks

PRECONDITIONS BEFORE SURGERY

All medical conditions and medical history should be fully disclosed to the surgeon - please note these on the medical form and discuss these in the consultations you have with the surgeon. Make sure the surgeon is aware of all the medications you are currently taking or have taken. Make sure the surgeon is aware if you had had:

• An allergy or bad reaction to antibiotics, anesthetic drugs or other medicine
• Prolonged bleeding, bad scarring or excessive bruising
• Any recent or long-term illnesses
• A connective-tissue disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis
• Previous surgery
• Psychological or psychiatric illness

Do not take any type of aspirin or medicines containing aspirin or anti-inflammatory medicines before at least 10 days before surgery because they increase the risk of excessive bleeding.

Smoking should be stopped 2 weeks before surgery.

RISKS OF SURGERY

The following information is not to alarm you, but to inform you that there are always inherent risks in all types of surgery.

We minimize risks and complications by selecting patients carefully and always having the most skilled surgeons, physicians and nurses carry out procedures. However, despite the highest standards, complications can occur. They are rare, and most patients will not have complications, but if you have concerns about possible complications, please discuss these with your doctor.

You are at increased risk of complications if you have diabetes, poor circulation, heart, lung or liver disease, smoke, have a family history of blood clots, take certain medications, etc. You must disclose all these conditions to the surgeon before booking your treatments.

The less common complications of all surgery includes:

• Bruising and swelling - usually settles after 1-2 weeks, but sometimes can take up to a month or more
• Wounds may take longer to heal, there may be some bleeding and infection may require treatment with antibiotics
• A chest infection may develop after general anesthetic
• In extremely rare cases, a blood clot may develop, which could be risky if it moves to the heart, brain or lungs
• A sore throat may develop after breathing through the breathing tube used during anesthesia
• In few cases, surgical scars can develop that are pink, raised and irregularly shaped. These flatten and disappear over time.

SPECIFIC RISKS OF BREAST IMPLANTS

• Capsular formation - a fibrous layer that the body forms naturally around a foreign body such as a breast implant - may harden and contract, distorting the shape and feel of the breast. In rare cases, the capsule will need to be removed and the implant replaced. Newer implants have reduced this problem.
• Nipple sensation can be affected following breast enlargement, with some women reporting an increase or reduction in the nipple. These changes are often temporary, but in rare cases can be long term.
• Using modern implants, the chance of implants leaking or breaking is very rare. However, if this does occur, the look of the breasts may change in shape or feel, which may require removal of the implant.
• Skin ripples and wrinkles may form and appear on the skin near the implant.
• The shape and size of the breasts before surgery will influence the outcome, and the surgeon cannot guarantee that the shape and size will be the same after.
• There is no evidence to suggest that women with implants are at a greater risk of breast cancer or that detection of cancer is delayed.
• Breast implants do not affect your ability to breast feed and there is no evidence to suggest any health risks to the child.