Breast implant surgery is the most popular breast enhancement procedure to improve breast shape and size. There are many options such as FDA-approved saline, silicone and gummy bear breast implants. They come in various sizes and shapes and when properly placed, provide quite amazing results. However, there’s more to just having this cosmetic surgical treatment. Experts caution that ongoing care and maintenance of your breast implants are essential to maintain the results.
Most devices currently in the market are likely to last between 20 to 25 years. Nevertheless, experts stress that implants do not last a lifetime and will have to be replaced at some point of time. However, they also point out that there are many reasons why ongoing care and maintenance of your breast implants is important. Factors such as age, pregnancy, and weight fluctuations may affect the results of the implant surgery over time.
A new report indicates that 25% of women who underwent breast augmentation will have secondary procedure sometime within 10 years of the treatment. The secondary procedure could involve removing the implants, lifting the breasts, upsizing and downsizing, or dealing with complications such as hematomas, ruptures, and capsular contractures. Women may also need a procedure to remove scar tissue which develops around the implant. Saline implants are more susceptible to leakage or draining than other types, which means they would need replacement.
That’s why it’s important to care for your implants with periodical visits to the plastic surgeon’s office. If scar tissue has developed, the surgeon can surgically remove this tissue and reposition your implants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends an MRI three years after breast augmentation with silicone implants to ascertain that they have not ruptured and repeating the MRI every two years afterwards along with the recommended mammograms.
An experienced breast augmentation surgeon would explain the importance of aftercare and follow-up consultations. Many patients tend to skip follow-up appointments because they are not having any problems, but this is not advisable with breast implant surgery.