A Denmark study has found that women who undergo breast implant surgery after mastectomies may experience complications that require additional surgery. Approximately one-third of all patients who received reconstructive breast surgery will develop a significant breast implant complication within four years. Twenty percent of those studied required surgery to correct complications like capsular contracture and infections. The rate of implant rupture in the study was very rare: only five women out of 574 women studied experienced breast implant rupture.

The reconstructive breast surgery study was conducted by the Danish Cancer Society in conjunction with the International Epidemiology Institute. The latter paid for the study with the help of funding from former silicone implant manufacturer Dow Corning Corporation. The results of this research appear in the December issue of Archives of Surgery.

Many medical experts argue that there are significant flaws in this research. “This study is really missing the boat,” says Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center for Women and Families here in the United States. She points out that most women in the Danish study received reconstructive breast surgery weeks after mastectomy, whereas most women in the United States receive breast implants during the mastectomy procedure.

With a single round of surgery, patients are spared the psychological effects of losing a breast. On the other hand, the body is put through more stress when it is made to endure both the loss of a breast and the presence of a foreign implant in its place. According to Dr. Navin Singh, a surgeon at John Hopkins University, mastectomy patients are more likely to experience complications than cosmetic breast augmentation patients are because their breast and surrounding tissues are removed during mastectomy, giving plastic surgeons less to work with. Undergoing chemotherapy and radiation after a combo surgery can also increase the risk of implant complications, says Dr. Singh.

Zuckerman actually reports that the rate of complication can be even greater than the study suggests. All of the women in the study got implants and most were silicone implants. Silicone implants have been restricted on the United States market since the early 1990s due to serious side effect risks. While silicone implants are not available for cosmetic purposes, these implants are still used for reconstructive breast surgery patients.

While breast implants following mastectomy are not without risk, many women still opt for reconstructive surgery. Meredith Cobb, who doctors diagnosed with breast cancer at 26, said her implants have made her “feel whole again.” While she needs another surgery to correct complications with her breast implants, she says, “I wouldn’t give them up now. A lot of people might not go through another surgery, but it’s something that I’m willing to do.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with breast cancer, it is likely that you will need to have a mastectomy or lumpectomy to remove the cancerous tissues and help you get better. The decision to have reconstructive breast surgery following breast cancer treatment is a big one. It is important to speak with your surgeon about the risks and benefits of reconstructive breast surgery in order to gain a realistic understanding of this plastic surgery procedure.