Breast implants are FDA-approved for anywhere from 10 to 20 years. However, this isn’t a hard and fast rule that applies indiscriminately to every patient.
Although you should be getting yearly breast exams, and your surgeon will help advise on when (if ever) your implants need to be replaced, you might be interested in these five signs it might be time.
1. Your Implants Feel Hard
Generally, after a breast augmentation, your implants will feel firm. This should be a temporary side effect that goes away shortly after your surgery.
As your implants settle into place and your body heals post-operation, your breast implants should soften.
However, if your implants still feel hard or feel uncomfortable several weeks post-op, it could be a sign of something serious.
Capsular contracture is a condition in which the scar capsule around your breast implant hardens. This is extremely rare. In over 98% of breast implant patients, this scarring remains soft and thin.
The best thing to do if your implants feel hard or uncomfortable is to visit your surgeon for a check-up.
2. Your Implants Are Deflated
Both silicone and saline implants are capable of deflating.
When a saline breast implant ruptures, you’ll notice fairly soon since your breast will appear deflated.
When silicone implants rupture, it’s sometimes not noticeable at all since the silicone gel leaks out slowly. Silicone implants are less likely to rupture, deflate, or change shape since they are made from a durable silicone shell.
Your surgeon can do an imaging test to determine whether the implant is leaking. Contact your surgeon if at any point you’re worried your implants are deflated and therefore have potentially ruptured.
3. Your Implants Have Moved
Some patients experience issues with their implants moving. In the plastic surgery world, this is referred to as “migrating.”
Before you get too worried, this doesn’t mean your implants will migrate to a completely different part of your body. All this means is that the implants move slightly so that they’re noticeably uneven.
A breast revision can address this issue and get you the results you want.
4. Your Implants Have Rotated
Implants come in different shapes and sizes to meet patient goals.
Oftentimes, implants are a circular shape. But there are some implants that are more anatomically shaped so that they look like a teardrop.
If you have teardrop-shaped implants, it’s possible that your implants could rotate slightly. The result will be noticeably uneven implants, in which case you will want a breast revision.
5. You’re Unhappy with the Size of Your Implants
If you’re unhappy with the size of your current implants (whether because you feel they are too small or too large), you may want to consider replacing them.
Tons of patients undergo breast implant replacements and revisions. During this process, you will meet with your surgeon for a consultation. They can help you determine the types of implants you should get based on shape and size to achieve your aesthetic goals.
This is actually the most common reason why women get their breast implants replaced. Usually, when new patients receive a breast augmentation, they start conservatively. After they’ve healed, many realize they went too small and want to replace their current implants with larger ones.
Breast Implant Revisions and Replacements in Nassau County and NYC
Breast revisions and replacements can be stressful but necessary. To minimize anxiety and get the results you’re dreaming of, contact an experienced and compassionate plastic surgeon like Dr. Brian D. Cohen.
Dr. Cohen offers consultations to help patients identify and resolve issues as quickly and comfortably as possible.