Hey everyone.
Today, I'd like to talk to you about one of the most frequently asked questions I get
about breast augmentation and breast implants, besides how much it costs.
The second biggest question I usually get is "How long do breast implants last?"
And I don't think there really is a pat answer to that, or a concrete answer to that, but
somewhere, somebody said that breast implants only last ten years and boy did that stick.
I get that call almost every week.
Somebody reaches a point in time and they wonder, "Should I have them replaced?"
And my first question is always, "Is there anything wrong?"
"No."
"Have you gotten good breast exams, self-exams, mammograms?
Have they aged gracefully with you?"
And usually the answer to that is "Yes."
So, if everything is great, just because you hit a certain point in time, a day on the
calendar, should you really have surgery?
In Texas we say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
So, I don't think anybody can tell you exactly how long a breast implant device will last,
but I do know that the decisions you make before surgery with your surgeon will help
your breast augmentation result last as long as possible.
There are four basic things that affect how long you can enjoy your breast augmentation
result.
The number one reason for re-operation in breast aug is size exchange.
Either somebody gets something too big or too small.
If they get something too big, then it causes excessive sagging, bottoming out, edge visibility,
traction rippling, and makes them need an operation sooner rather than later.
Or they actually get something that belongs on them and then they get greedy, and they
go back in and say, "Gosh doc, I love these but I wish they were bigger."
So here they go, back into the operating room again, for what?
I think they get into this situation because patients and surgeons tend to make decisions
based on subjective criteria, like what cup size do you want to be?
3D imaging is really popular right now, or my favorite: the rice bag test, where you
stick some rice in a baggie and put it in your bra.
That sounds really good, right?
All of these things are really warm and fuzzy, but they're not very accurate.
And it leads patients and surgeons to make decisions that they end up regretting later.
That's why we use Dr. Tebbetts' system of measurements.
The High Five system is clinically objective and the patient's body makes the decision,
and when that happens it takes all the guesswork out of finding the right size.
It's always perfect if your body makes the call.
The second biggest reason for re-operation in breast aug is called capsular contracture.
If you've ever hugged somebody and their implants were rock hard, or you hear your friend say
that their breast implant got hard, it's not the implant that gets hard.
It's scar tissue that develops around the implant.
See, everybody forms a lining.
We just don't want that lining, or capsule, to thicken.
And there's no way to test patients for that, so it really is a problem in breast augmentation.
In 24-hour recovery patients in Dr. Tebbetts' practice, we've seen capsular contracture
drop dramatically.
Dr. Tebbetts has a 1.5 percent published rate of capsular contracture in our 24-hour patients.
When there's no blood in the pocket, then there's less inflammation.
When there's less inflammation, then there's less capsular contracture.
The third basic thing that affects the lifetime, or the longevity, of your breast augmentation
result is actually the implant device itself.
Well we already know we don't know how long a breast implant is going to last, but given
the current data that we have from the FDA and the manufacturers, it really looks like
silicone is going to last and outlive a saline implant.
So, a silicone implant appears to be the implant of choice at this time in terms of longevity.
The longer the breast implant lasts, then the longer the result.
But this data's going to change.
It should change.
Hopefully everything gets better over time.
So be sure and consult with your surgeon about what they feel is the best option that's going
to last the longest for you, given your tissue and your decisions.
The fourth basic thing that affects the longevity of your result is actually the quality of
your tissue.
And this one's kind of a tricky one, because you can't change what your tissue is like.
If it's really thin and stretchy, that's going to test how long you can really enjoy the
weight of a breast implant and keep your breasts looking firm and perky long-term.
You see, we can operate on your tissue, but we can't change the genetic quality of your
tissue.
So these are the four basic things: size, capsular contracture, the device itself, and
the quality of your tissue, that affect the longevity of your breast augmentation result.
The better your decisions are before you have surgery, the longer your result is likely
to last.
Look at me, I'm going on 13 years with my very first set of silicone implants.
I'm really happy with the choices and the decisions I made back then, that have let
me enjoy my implants so long.
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