How Long Will my Breast Implants Last?

posted in Breast Augmentation Revision ,Breast Enhancement ,Breast Implants by nseben

An Effectively Permanent Procedure

Breast augmentation procedures yield permanent results. When surgeons talk about that permanency, they usually use the term “effectively permanent.” There are reasons for that. The FDA generally approves breast implants for a lifespan somewhere between fifteen and twenty-five years.

That’s not an expiration date. And if you’re wondering, how long will my breast implants last, that’s not the final determinant. There are many patients who never have to worry about their implants once they’re in. And there are some patients who, for a wide variety of reasons, choose to have their implants removed later in life.

So how long will those breast implants last? Much will depend on your own personal preferences. Let’s explore what, exactly, that might mean.

Exploring the “Shelf Life” of Breast Implants

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has set a certain shelf life for breast implants, but that shelf life depends on several things, including:

Implant type
Implant manufacturer
Implant material

And the FDA isn’t the only body that has a word in how long breast implants will last. Often, the manufacturer of a given implant will also have a recommended “shelf life.” In some cases, that shelf life is about 10 years, but more often the implants themselves will last anywhere between 15 and 25 years.

There are, of course, other factors as well, including in the patient. In fact, the patient is often the most variable part of determining how long the breast implant will last. Some of the choices that patients make—for example, whether the implant is saline or silicone—can have a big impact on how long the implant will last.

During your initial consultation, the “shelf life” of your breast implant is something that you’ll discuss with Dr. Polsen, so you’ll be able to make the best decision for you and for your body.

Reasons Why You Might Want Your Implant Removed Early

Just because the implant can last 25 years doesn’t mean that women will always leave them in for that amount of time. In some instances, women will elect to have their implants removed before the “shelf life” date has been reached. Some of those reasons include the following:

The original implant was defective for some reason: This happens more frequently when your breast augmentation is not performed by a highly qualified individual. Dr. Polsen—a board certified plastic surgeon—has a great deal of experience treating these types of situations. In many cases, the patient will choose to have new, high quality implants replace the old ones.
A change of opinion: In some cases, the implants are removed or changed not because of medical reasons, but due to personal reasons. Some patients, especially as they age, decide that the larger bust size no longer reflects their personalities or their self-image. In those cases, patients may opt to have the implants removed entirely (in which case a breast lift or breast reduction is also usually performed) or have a smaller implant put in their place. There are a lot of options for this particular procedure. Of course, sometimes it goes in the other direction: sometimes patients want an increase in size (though that’s not quite as common).
A rupture of one of the breast implants: Now, “rupture” sounds quite serious, but all the word really means in this setting is a tear to the outer membrane of the implant. In a saline implant this might lead to deflation. In most silicone implants, a rupture leads to, well, nothing. The “gummy bear” material of modern silicone implants is designed to hold its shape even in the case of a rupture. (If you feel any type of pain or discomfort, however, you should consult with your surgeon.) In cases of a rupture, however, surgery can be performed to repair the results.

High Quality Material, High Quality Surgery

The best way to ensure that you get the most out of your breast augmentation—that you’re able to enjoy the results for as long as possible—is to make sure you’re seeing a highly qualified surgeon who uses high quality materials. In the United States, that means going to see a board certified plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Polsen.

For what it’s worth, that’s one of the reasons that we discourage “plastic surgery tourism.” Outside of the United States, it’s possible for surgeons to use sub-prime materials, including the breast implants themselves. In the U.S., all medical devices (and breast implants are technically medical devices) are subjected to intensive testing and scrutiny.

This means that you can be assured that implants used within the United States are as safe as they can possibly be. When that kind of quality is paired with the experience of a board certified plastic surgeon, you can rest assured that you’re getting the best results possible.

It should be noted that this also holds true for breast implant revision surgery. To get the best results possible, it’s recommended that you get your revision surgery from a highly qualified and board certified plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Polsen.

If you’re interested in finding out more about what a breast augmentation or a breast implant revision procedure can do for you, don’t hesitate to contact our staff to schedule a confidential consultation. During this consultation we’ll discuss your desired final results and the best way to achieve them! (We’ll also talk about how long those results will last!)

If you want to know how long your breast implants will last, the best way to find out is to talk to Dr. Polsen during a consultation. Contact us today to get started!