Are Breast Implants Lifetime Guaranteed?

The lifetime of breast implants differ from one patient to other. The breast implants are generally 10 year guaranteed and after 10 years, if there is no necessity, there is no need for a breast implant change surgery.

The patient should be informed of the material&size&shape&brand which would be used during the procedure. The improper choice of size&shape&material may cause pain and or an unaesthetic outcome or posture disorders. This shortens the lifetime of the implant.

Capsular contracture is the most common reason for breast implant revision surgery. The cause of this issue is dependent on the body system. The body can have a reaction to a foreign object(the implant) and after the body detects it, it would isolate that object and provide a barrier in between. This has advantages and disadvantages. This capsule keeps the breast intact and in its place, however as a disadvantage is that the capsule might become harder and contract the breast. This might also cause deformity and pain. This has nothing to do with the skills of the surgeon and this can happen to any patient and this is just a reaction of the body which can never be predicted.

Why Do Patients Have Breast Implants Surgery Performed?

Breast implants can be performed due to many different reasons. Changes in the breast structure as a result of physical and/or genetic deformities or diseases may create the need for breast implants or pregnancy, weight loss or breastfeeding can also cause breast volume loss, which might be corrected by breast lift + implants generally. The implants can be also used for aesthetic reasons such as augmenting the breast size. The implants may be placed after the individual and the surgeon have decided together on the appropriate size.

The patient’s condition should be investigated in many ways before deciding on the breast augmentation surgery. The surgeon should carefully evaluate patient’s case closely and listen to their concerns and inform the patient about how to proceed with this surgery according to their own specific case and clarify what would suit the patient and what would be a successful result.

How Breast Implants Change Over Time?

Breast implants become a part of the natural breast tissue. In other words, changes in shape of the implant can occur due to physical activity and age, just like natural breast tissue. In addition, there may also be various physical distortions around the implant depending on the material used and the body structure of the patient. Capsular contracture is the most common reason for breast implant revision surgery. The body can have a reaction to a foreign object and after detecting it, the body would isolate that object and provide a barrier in between. This capsule might become harder and thicker. This thickness may cause pain and aesthetic problems and a secondary operation. Accordingly, it is very important for the patient to attend all their post operative check appointments and the surgeon should track the patient’s healing process.

What Is The Possibility Of Rupturing The Implants?

Ruptures can be defined as rare complications of breast augmentation surgery. Because of the quality of the material being used in operation rooms now a days, the percentage of the implants being ruptured is decreasing. It is important to proceed with the highest quality material in order to end up with the least amount of risk.

This should also be noted that the breast implant operations have been designed for a lifetime usage. Since 2007, all silicone implants have been gel filled made. When rupture occurs, the silicone implant stays in the implant pocket. The detection of rupture in silicone implants is provided by an ultrasound or MRI.

So why do implants get ruptured? The aging of the implant, damage to the implant during operation, pressure, damage to the breast area or capsule contracture can cause this issue.

When Should Breast Implant Surgery Be Revised?

Breast implants age over time depending on the material and the patient’s body structure. Therefore, the patients should have routine checks starting from the 1st month after surgery and then on the 3rd month, 6 month and 1 year and later, the patients should continue to have checks each year. In case of pain, it is necessary to visit your surgeon as soon as possible. If there are no health problems, removal of the breast implants depend on the patient’s preference. The patient may request removal or replacement of the implants for aesthetic purposes. However, if there is no reason for the implant to be removed or replaced at all.

Can Breast Implants Last Forever?

Although there are patients using the same implants for 20 or 30 years, statistics show that these implants can be replaced within 10 years. Even if the breast implant does not cause any complications, problems like loosening of the skin, age, breastfeeding, and changes in the body weight of the person may cause deformities.

How Does The Breast Implant Surgery Take Place?

Breast implants are medical materials which have various shapes and sizes. These implants are inserted through a small incision under the breast. The main goal here is to end up with a better projection of the breasts. Breast implant surgery can also be combined with breast lift surgery. If the patient has saggy skin, only inserting implants will not be enough to reshape the breast, this excess tissue should be removed, so the patient can achieve a perky look. Otherwise, breasts will be bigger but saggier.

Depending on the patient’s body structure and desires, the type&shape of the implants vary. In some cases, the implant can be placed through the incision and the operation would be completed. However, in more complicated cases, extra interventions might be needed, such as repositioning the nipple, adjusting the cleavage and creating a new crease.

In some surgeries, only implant placement might not give achievable results. To eliminate this risk, surgeons use temporary implants during the surgery in order to decide on the correct size. Temporary implants are placed after removal of the breast tissue. After the breasts are ready with their desired shapes, temporary implants are removed and replaced with permanent ones. So, temporary implants are used as “sizers”.

Pregnancy With Breast Implants

Most women have doubts whether they should have breast implants before getting pregnant or not. It is very normal to feel not sure about which is right or wrong. But, we can assure you that, there is no inconvenience in planning pregnancy after breast implant surgery. The silicone prosthesis inserted in the breast tissue during the procedure does not obstruct female patients from giving milk to their babies after giving birth. The implant does not effect the milk. However, there is one issue if you are planning to with implants while breastfeeding. If you have not gotten your breast augmented, it is not recommended to get breast implants during breastfeeding phase. Female patients should wait at least 6 months before breast implant can be inserted to the breasts because when the milk channels are full, it increases the possibility of infection. It also makes it difficult for the breast to take its final shape.

Breast Implant Weight

The weight of the breast prosthesis is usually directly proportional to its volume. The weight of breast implant is measured in cc. A weight of 1 cc corresponds to 1 gram. A silicone implant may have a weight of 250 cc, 275 cc or 300 cc to the desired size. (for only one breast) As a result, the weight gain of a patient using 300 cc implant in the operation will be counted to be 600 grams.

Breast Implant With Lift

During breast lift surgery medical examination, nipple location is determined and the amount of mammary gland is measured and also the expectations of patients are evaluated. Usually general anesthesia is used in this procedure. Depending on the technique used, the operation time can vary between 2 to 4 hours. Breast lift surgeries are generally performed through either lollipop scar technique or an inverted T scar technique(Anchor scar technique).

As one can also understand, in lollipop technique, the scar is shaped like a lollipop, the scar goes around the areola as a circle and vertically down from the areola to the breast crease. Mild sagging cases are mostly appropriate for lollipop scar technique. In anchor (inverted T) scar technique, the scar goes around the areola as a circle and vertically down from the areola to the breast crease and horizontally along the breast crease. Severe sagging cases are mostly appropriate for anchor scar tecnique.

In patients with excessive breast sagging, breast reduction surgery together with breast lift can be applied where the breast size is made smaller.

Breast Implant Material

There are two common implant material types. These are:

Saline liquid filled implants
Silicone gel filled implants
The outer surface in both implant types is covered by silicone. This is because the silicone’s soft and durable structure which is also similar to the breast tissue.

Saline breast implants: In saline implants, the inside of the silicone baloon is filled with sterile saline solution. The implant is placed empty in to the breast and it is filled after placement.

Silicone breast implants: In silicone implants, the implant balloon is filled with adhesive, durable silicone gel. The silicone gel is a denser fluid that can closely mimic the breast tissue. The outer surfaces of the silicone prostheses may be textured or smooth. The purpose of producing roughened surfaces is to ensure that the capsule structure formed over time around the silicone prosthesis is thin.

Breast Implant Hardening

When breast implant surgery is performed under normal conditions, some kind of capsule forms around the place where the breast silicone is placed. This is a normal and expected reaction. More than usual hardening situation is called capsule contracture. As a result, deformity and pain can occur in the breast.

The capsule contracture ranges differently according to the severity of the hardening. In fact, the capsule doesn’t have to be just about breasts. A capsule can be formed around any foreign material placed in the body by any kind of operation such as dental prosthesis, hip prosthesis, heart battery etc. So, naturally, a capsule is formed around these silicones. But, if the capsule is exposed to excessive inflammation, accumulation of fluid inside, bacterial contamination, the capsule, which is normally be soft, becomes hardened.

Capsule contracture can occur at any time within 3-12 months after applying the implant. There are 4 known types of capsule contracture:

In the first phase, the breast is normal-looking, soft. There is no change in size and shape.
There is a slight degree of stiffness in the second phase but the appearance is normal.
In the third phase breast is really hard and there is a deformity on the breast.
Breasts are very hard, very painful by handling, and the appearance is too deformed in the fourth phase.
The first two phases of capsule contractures usually do not require any surgery. They can be fixed by massage therapy. The third and fourth phases usually require surgery. In this operation, the capsule and implants are removed.

Choosing the right size for the breast implant

The width of rib cage, size of the breast, strength of muscle and bone structure, and type of implant would be used are the significant points that help to decide how to choose the breast implant size. Because of this and many other factors, there is a need for an extensive calculation to match the implant size to the breast size. In addition, a healthy proportion of the body should be obtained and is important, that way, we can end up with a natural look. The patient and surgeon can easily determine the optimal size and shape for the breast implant by deciding and discussing together.

Breast Implant Procedures

The breast implant procedure is generally performed under general anesthesia. The incision and breast implant inserting steps are directly relevant. Incisions are usually created in the hidden areas of the body. The patient and the surgeon decide together which type of incision to use. (Inframmary fold, peri-areolar incision, axillary incision.) There are different methods for inserting and placement the breast implant into the breast. The method to be used may vary depending on the type of implant, degree of enlargement, anatomy of the person, and the surgeon’s treatment plan. Over time, the incision scars will fade away. The duration of disappearance of these scars may vary depending on type of scar, skin quality and other conditions.

Pain With Breast Implants

If you still feel pain after a long time after surgery, there are two common causes.

Capsular Contracture
This happens because the body rejects the implant. Not just only in the breast area, the body can perceive these types of issues as foreign objects. After this, the foreign object will be recognized as a danger for body and it will be rejected by the body’s own metobolism. This is a serious issue and it can happen due to infection, bleeding and for many other reasons.

Stretching Muscles
It is an issue which can be easily solved compared to capsular contracture. Although silicone and saline breast implants are light, carrying an additional weight in the breasts may have muscles become streched. This pain woudl likely be even more intense towards the nipple. In this case, it is preferred to contact your surgeon, even if this is not serious.

Breast Implant Safety

These operations, which have been carried out for more than 50 years worldwide, are absolutely reliable. When performed in a sterile environment, healthy conditions and with a successful surgeon, the risks associated with breast implant surgery are minimized. It’s also really common procedure performed all over the globe.

Breat Implant Risks

When it comes to having a surgery, they all have risks just like breast implant surgery. The most known 3 risks are capsular contracture, oil necrosis and infection.

Oil Necrosis: It is generally defined as the inability to feed the existing cultivated oils as a result of excessive oil cultivation. It can be analyzed through redness in breast area.

Infection: It is caused by the germs of the cultivated oil in that region. It occurs as a result of not paying attention to keeping the area hygenic.
Capsular Contracture: It occurs when the body rejects the breast implant silicone. The silicone is recognized as a danger for the body and the capsular contracture will occur around of the breast implant. Even though it can be solved by massage therapy in some situations, there need to be performed a secondary revision surgery sometimes to remove the capsular contracture and the breast implant.