Pain after the operation
The occurrence of pain after breast augmentation with implants up to two weeks after the operation is normal and usually disappears on its own after this period. The pain is differently pronounced depending on the individual perception of pain. They occur because the skin is stretched to a greater or lesser extent during the operation.
In addition, the breast muscle is also stretched during subpectoral placement of the implants. The stretching pain caused by this is even more intense when large implants are placed. In addition, many movements of the body also cause contractions of the pectoral muscles. Since the implants are located behind the muscles, these movements cause pain in the form of pulling, which is comparable to aching muscles.
Breast implantation in front of the breast muscle
There are two ways to position breast implants in the female breast. The subglandular technique is often used in women with a lot of their own tissue. Here the breast implant is placed under the mammary gland or above the pectoral muscle (epipectorially).
This technique is least suitable for slim women with relatively little of their own tissue, as the contours of the implant under the skin become both visible and palpable. An advantage of the subglandular technique is that the pectoral muscle does not have to be stretched with an expander beforehand and the surgical procedure is less traumatizing and gentler on the surrounding tissue. In addition, the risk of secondary bleeding is also significantly lower.
Breast implantation under the muscle
In this technique of implanting breast implants, they are placed under the pectoral muscle (subpektorially). This method is very suitable for slim women with relatively little fat and autologous tissue. The contours of the implant are therefore not visible from the outside.
The limitation in the choice of implant size proved to be a disadvantage. Since there is only limited space under the pectoral muscle, implants of any size cannot be used with this method. An advantage over the subglandular method is that this technique achieves a natural breast shape, as the implant has greater freedom of movement in the lower part of the breast.
Pain after years on breast implants
Pain that occurs after years of breast implants can have various causes. On the one hand, they can be caused by encapsulation of the implants or by other autoimmune diseases such as sarcoidosis or Sjögren’s syndrome. In the former, small nodules form in the connective tissue and in the latter there is a functional limitation of salivary and lacrimal glands. In addition, there is also the disease scleroderma, in which the skin becomes life-threateningly ossified. Common to all these diseases is that they cause pain in addition to depression and fatigue.
