Can I receive breast augmentation if I have had breast cancer?

Breast cancer history is not a contraindication to implant placement: in fact, implants are often used to reconstruct the post-mastectomy defect left after the breast is removed for cancer-related reasons. However, the implant can complicate breast cancer surveillance. Self-breast exams may be more difficult, and your clinicians may have difficulty adequately palpating or imaging your breasts. Mammography is particularly affected. Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is recommended to image the augmented breast. This is also the modality of choice to look for leakage with silicone implants, so the MRI serves two purposes. Speak to your breast physician and plastic surgeon about these issues and about any personal or family history involving malignancies or benign masses.

Patients may undergo breast reconstruction even if they have had breast cancer with silicone gel implants placed post mastectomy.  Silicon implants or silicone implants with a flap reconstruction are used daily throughout the United States by board-certified plastic surgeons in order to reconstruct women's breasts after having undergone mastectomies.  Silicon gel implants are still one of the main approaches for breast augmentations/reconstruction after cancer of the breast.