Expired? Probably not.
Seattle Plastic Surgeon discusses the longevity of breast implants.
I get the “have my breast implants expired?” question a lot. I tell my patients who are considering breast implants that they will likely get 10, 15 or maybe even 20 years out of their implants. This is based on the low leakage and rupture rates of the current generation of implants and the fact that a woman’s body can go through a lot of changes in 10, 15 or 20 years. I am as likely to do an implant removal and/or replacement for naturally occuring changes in a woman’s body and/or life circumstances as I am to do the surgery for an implant leak or rupture. Here are a couple of examples:
Very lovely and sweet 20 something wants her implants out because she has become a Buddhist nun and the implants don’t fit her spiritual identity. I took her implants out and her breasts returned to a similar shape and size that she had before breast augmentation.
Vibrant, slender and healthy 65 year old grandmother whose implants have stayed perky but her breasts have sagged giving her an odd shape and she feels silly having implants “at her age”. I took her implants out and did a breast lift. Her breasts are small but with a nice shape.
Healthy but heavier postmenopausal lady who was “flat” 20 years ago when she had breast augmentation but is now 30 pounds heavier and way bustier than she ever wanted to be. I took her implants out and did a small breast reduction and lift. Her chest went from matronly back to full and voluptuous.
I sometimes see women in my office who have implants 20+ years old and are doing fine. There is no reason to remove these implants unless there is a good reason to do so.
My next blog will be devoted to the FDA’s recommendation of frequent MRI exams to monitor silicone gel implants.
Thanks for reading! Dr. Lisa Lynn Sowder
@lisalynnsowder
