Vivienne Andrews wanted to have breast lift surgery, but she was not sure whether she should go in for it. Vivienne was planning to have a baby soon and she was worried that she may not be able to breast feed after breast surgery. “With every procedure, there is some risk that you may not be able to breast-feed after the surgery,” explains Vivienne, who is on a sabbatical from her designing job.

Health issues such as breast-feeding after breast surgery, is a major concern that is stopping most women who wish to go for a cosmetic surgery. The risks to breast-feeding associated with cosmetic breast surgery vary widely from procedure to procedure. So if breast-feeding is extremely important to you as an individual, you may want to put off your surgery until after your children are weaned.

It’s a good idea to have breast surgery after you’ve had your kids because breast feeding is very likely to change the shape of your breasts. On the other hand, if you are young, unmarried, thinking of having kids ten years down the road, would prefer nursing but would not be overly upset by having to bottle-feed, the breast-feeding issue should not be a big concern for you.

If you’re interested in having a lift or reduction, your doctor can give you an accurate idea of the risk entailed with your particular procedure. However, you should be aware that some procedures such as free-nipple procedure (where the nipple is removed completely from the underlying tissue), involve cutting the ducts and remove the option of using a breast pump. The only remaining option would be bottle-feeding, using formula.

One simple and common cosmetic procedure that many women seek is to correct “innie” nipples. In these women, instead of protruding in the natural manner, their nipples pucker inward. This is caused by shorter than normal milk ducts and the surgical solution to the problem is to simply cut the ducts. If you are considering having children, you should be advised that this procedure rules out any chance of breast-feeding.

Loss of nipple sensation is another concern related to breast surgery. Loss of nipple sensation effectively prevents you from nursing at the breast because you will be unaware of what would otherwise be painful behavior from the infant. Normally of there is any pain, the mother temporarily pulls the child away from the nipple. Without sensation, the baby could damage the nipple or areola. This, in turn, could cause a localized infection called mastitis.

If you feel that breast-feeding after breast surgery still remains a major concern for you, then it’s advisable to consult a plastic surgeon on the issue.