Got to work this am and was handed an article from the morning paper by the ward secretary. The study is in the January issue of the the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The news article was in the LA Daily News by a Theresa Tamkins from Medical Tribune News Service. The article states," In a study of 84 new mothers at a Texas hospital, 64 percent of those with breast implants had problems producing enough milk to feed their infants, while only 7 percent of women without implants had such problems." It goes on to describe how different types of surgery would affect ability to breastfeed differently (i.e. where the incision is -- around nipple, armpit, or under breast.) The study author, Nancy Hurse, director of the lactation program and the human milk bank at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston states," breast surgery most likely disrupts the nerves that are important for successful breast-feeding...Normally when the baby begins to suckle, it triggers those nerves to trigger hormones to release milk...If the nerves are severed, the volume of milk to the child may be reduced." Dr. Marianne Neifert, a medical consultant to the lactation program at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Med Center in Denver is quoted as saying, "An incision around the nipple which is done to help make the scar less noticeable, also may sever ducts that drain milk from the mammary gland...So even if the mother has an adequate milk supply, it may be difficult for the milk to drain into the nipple...eventually, that area of the breast will shut down and stop producing milk...After working with a breast-feeding clinic for more than a decade, Neifert said she suspected that breast-implant surgery could affect a woman's ability to breast-feed." Dr. John William Little, president of the Plastic Surgery Education Foundation at the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons AND Clinical professor of surgery at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. states the following: " the new study does not prove that implant surgery interferes with breastfeeding...the report did not take into account women's breast size before surgery, and BREAST SIZE CAN AFFECT A WOMAN'S ABILITY TO LACTATE...MOST WOMEN SEEKING IMPLANTS DON'T COME IN WITH ADEQUATE B OR C BREASTS...MOST COME IN BECAUSE THEY FEEL SOMEWHAT DEFORMED BY THE LACK OF ADEQUATE BREASTS...IT MAY HAVE BEEN SOMETHING ABOUT THE WOMEN'S SMALLER BREASTS THAT CAUSED BREAST-FEEDING PROBLEMS--NOT THE IMPLANT SURGERY." (my caps!!!!!!!) He goes on to say, "one surgical technique, in which an incision is made around the nipple and breast tissue is cut to place the implant, may interfere with breast-feeding...but that technique is no longer commonly used...instead of cutting the breast tissue, surgeons now maneuver around it...if it is in fact a problem, a patient needs to be told. But we can't conclude it is a problem from the basis of this study". I can't believe the statements of this doctor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Breast implant surgery has always bugged me when done on normal healthy woman so they can have ADEQUATE B OR C cups!!!!!!!!!!!! I once spoke with a breastfeeding mom who was also a plastic surgeon. She had done several reductions and implants. She told me that once you get into the breast it looks like a bowl full of jelly and it's very difficult to connect everything back up to even close to the way it was. I can't help but feel this surgeon is worried that plastic surgeons may start to lose all their business and big bucks on implant surgery if this study is given any high regard! Donna Zitzelberger RN BSN CLE Who was barely an A cup (i.e. a "flatsie") for many a year and managed to produce gobs and gobs of breastmilk for two sweet babes. After breastfeeding she is now a voluptuous (sarcasm intended) C!! (NO IMPLANTS NEEDED).