Breast reconstruction with implants carries a risk of complications. Complications may be related to the surgery or to the implant.

Risks of surgery

The risks of breast reconstruction surgery include:

• Slow healing of cuts in the skin, called incisions.
• Infection.
• Bleeding.
• Risks linked to the medicine that puts you in a sleeplike state during surgery. The medicine is called a general anesthetic. Risks include nausea, vomiting and confusion.

Risks of having implants

The risks of having breast implants include:

• Breasts that don't match each other in size or how they look, called asymmetry.
• Breast pain.
• Implant leaks or tears.
• Higher risk of future breast surgery to replace or remove the breast implant.
• Changes in feeling in the breast.
• Scar tissue that changes the shape of the breast implant, called capsular contracture.
• A slightly higher risk of a rare immune system cancer called anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Also called ALCL, it's linked with breast implants that have a textured surface. The link between breast implants and ALCL needs more study.

Treating these complications may mean more surgery to remove or replace the implants.

Breast reconstruction with implants might not be a good choice for you if you need radiation therapy to the skin and chest wall after mastectomy. There may be a higher risk of complications. Radiation therapy can cause skin changes that may lead to a higher risk of infection and problems with wound healing.