Breast implant review: when to do it?
More and more women have breast implants, and some have had them for a long time.
One question that arises for those who have had breast augmentation with implants is whether they will need to change the prostheses in the future by undergoing a new plastic surgery.
While a few years ago the answer to this question was undoubted yes, nowadays it's not possible to give a definitive answer.
The body goes through various changes over time and breasts age and can increase or decrease depending on weight fluctuations.
When you have a breast implant fitted, it doesn't mean that your breasts won't change over the course of your life, or that the implant you initially chose will be what you want after a few years.
Although breast augmentation is a very rewarding procedure for most women, some, for various reasons, find afterwards that they can still improve the appearance of their breasts.
Plastic surgeons should warn breast augmentation patients about the need to change the prosthesis at some point in their future lives.
It's important that the patient is aware of this possibility, but it's also essential to emphasise that advances in research and medicine have led to increasingly safe, resistant, and durable implants.
What is the validity of breast implants?
There is no right answer to this question.
While older prostheses had a general shelf life of ten years, nowadays you can't say that breast implants don't have a certain shelf life or that they will last exactly 10, 15 or 20 years. But on the other hand, you can't say that they'll last a lifetime either.
How long implants last depends on each patient and on various external factors and the body itself. And these factors are beyond the control of the plastic surgeon and the implant manufacturer.
It can therefore happen that a patient is operated on at a very young age and has never needed to change the implants over time, or that another patient is operated on at an older age and must replace the implants after some time.
Breast implants have been continually improved by manufacturers to provide better results and reduce the associated complications.
Generally, they should only be replaced if they present certain problems, such as:
- capsular contracture;
- rotation;
- breakage.
According to a study by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which followed hundreds of patients for ten years after they had undergone breast augmentation, 91 per cent of the implants were still intact.
So, implants don't have an expiry date, but there are situations that trigger the need to replace the breast prosthesis, regardless of when the surgery was performed. That's why it's essential to follow up regularly with your doctor to ensure that your implants remain in good condition, even over the years.
When to replace implants?
Women who seek help to replace their implants usually do so because:
- 1) They are not satisfied with the aesthetic result - in this case, women want to change the shape or size of their breasts again, after having undergone a previous breast augmentation. Some patients seek help because they feel the implants are positioned in a way they don't like, because they want to increase or reduce the volume of the implant, because their breasts have sagged or because they feel the implants are too visible.
This dissatisfaction can occur simply because a woman's aesthetic tastes have changed over time, or due to major weight fluctuations, or pregnancy, among other reasons.
It can even be said that most cases in which women change implants are due to aesthetic reasons rather than any complications.
- 2) No guarantee of the quality of the implants that were previously fitted - some women have had their surgeries in other countries or, for some other reason, don't know which implants have been fitted. The issue of PIP (Poly Implant Protheses) prostheses has raised doubts among many patients who have opted to exchange their implants for others of guaranteed quality.
- 3) Capsular contracture: capsular contracture is one of the possible complications of breast augmentation. This is a reaction of the body after the implant has been placed, stiffening the breast, and causing pain, as it forms a fibrous capsule - or film - around the prosthesis.
However, if quality implants are used and the surgery is carried out using the appropriate techniques and means, the risk of having a capsular contracture is less than 1%, although the chances increase over the years.
In theory, the better the quality of the implants used, the less likely they are to develop capsular contracture.
However, there are various factors that cannot always be explained that can lead to this condition. In these cases, there are various solutions to the problem, which enable excellent aesthetic results to be achieved.
- 4) Implant issues - cases of implant rupture are currently very rare, resulting mainly from trauma. However, with some older implants, it is possible to see complications such as deflation (in the case of serum prostheses).
- 5) Implant rupture – although, as mentioned, the risk of this happening is very low. When prostheses break, they must be replaced.
The risk of rupture is greater the lower the quality of the implant. Pain, hardening of the breasts or loss of volume can indicate a ruptured implant.
Some of the most common situations that can cause prostheses to rupture are falls, road accidents and lack of proper post-operative care.
The importance of regular check-ups
Various signs may suggest the need to consult your surgeon to assess the need to replace your breast implants, for example when you feel pain or notice a change in the appearance of your breasts.
In addition, it is recommended that you visit your plastic surgeon on a regular basis for assessment and follow-up appointments. During these appointments, the condition of the prostheses and the possible need to remove or replace them will be assessed. These appointments are also essential to preserve the aesthetic result.
Ultrasound examinations should also be carried out at the frequency suggested by the doctor, or at his request, to assess the integrity of the implant and the health of the breast.
With the experience she has acquired throughout her activity in breast reconstruction, her training in the United States and her continuous updating work, Dr. Luísa Magalhães Ramos and her entire team will provide you with quality medical care and all the support you need
