Records have revealed that more and more women in Ho Chi Minh City are seeking breast augmentation surgery to improve their appearance, not knowing that the operation poses several hidden risks.

Statistics reveal that about 5,000 women in the southern metropolis undergo breast enlargement surgery every year.

Doctor Nguyen Huy Tho, former head of the facial and plastic surgery department at the Hanoi-based 108 Military Central Hospital, warned that breast augmentation can be dangerous and complications do occur.

Medical practitioners in Vietnam said cases that led to capsular contracture accounted for 2.4 percent of all operations during the 2011-16 period, while hematomas made up 1.2 percent.

Other complications such as late seroma, paresthesia and surgery scars occupied a further 3.6 percent.

According to Dr. Tho, complications can occur either right after surgery or about three months later.

It is recommended that patients pay close attention to their condition and inform doctors of any complications as soon as possible.

Side effects can become severe and difficult to cure if they are not treated promptly, the expert said.

Minor complications can be alleviated with regular physical therapy, while more serious ones may only be solved with further surgery, he elaborated.

There are four primary approaches to breast augmentation surgery, each with its own advantages, drawbacks, and potential risks, said Dr. Tho.

It is advisable that patients do their own careful research and seek proper consultation from their doctors prior to any operation.

The expert said that this type of surgery always carries a risk of complication, adding that any surgeon claiming that it is 100 percent safe is not telling the truth.

“You have to be aware of all the possible risks and complications as well as how to deal with them before signing up for any surgery,” he explained.

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