Implant Exchange
Want To See Real Breast Revision Results?
Before & After Gallery
Be sure to view our breast revision gallery to see real patient results.
Click HereAre you concerned that your implants may need to be exchanged? Have you heard that they need to be replaced every 10 years?
We get asked these questions a lot. Although the current breast implant manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty on their implants against deflation, they aren’t guaranteed to last a lifetime. We no longer tell patients that they need to get a new set of implants after 10 years, but since the older silicone gel implant shells weren’t very strong, rupture was a frequent occurrence. We counsel our patients undergoing primary breast augmentation that they should anticipate a second surgery at some point in their lifetime. Exchanges sometimes are wanted, like in the case of size change, and sometimes, they are needed, like in the case of rupture.
Read on to learn more about the most common reasons for implant exchange:
- LEAKS. Old silicone implants can rupture and leak. Saline implants can also deflate.
- NEW IMPLANT CHOICES. Women want to replace their old gel implants with thin shells that are prone to rupture to the newest 5th generation highly cohesive gel implants.
- DIFFERENT SIZE. Some women find that as they age or after pregnancy, they want to be a different size.
- CAPSULAR CONTRACTURE. Excessive scar tissue can form around the implant(s) over time. The scar tissue is removed by performing a complete capsulectomy and exchanging the implants.
- WRINKLING & RIPPLING. Women with thin skin and saline implants may suffer from palpability of the implants, so they opt to switch to gels, which ripple and wrinkle much less.
- ASYMMETRY. Our natural breast volume changes over our lifetime. Sometimes after breast feeding, one or both implant are exchanged to achieve better symmetry.
