Your Questions

Q:  Dr. Eppley, when I was a kid I had a problem with my blood platelets. The same thing happened after delivering my first baby and  then with the second one nothing happened. Do you think that having breast implants  will affect my platelets? If yes, by how much percent? Thanks.

A:  Without knowing what your exact platelet disorder is or was, I can’t say with any certainty. You will need to better describe medically what your platelet problem was. There is a big difference between too many platelets, too few platelets, and platelets which just don’t work well  as it relates to undergoing.The only thing that really matters with breast augmentation, or any surgery for that matter, is whether you have adequate clotting capability. If there is any question (and it sounds like there is) you should have a bleeding time, PT, PTT (or INR) and platelet count checked before surgery. Given that you had some type of ‘platelet problem’ as a child and after your first pregnancy, you should have a coagulation work-up before any elective plastic surgery.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana