Breast Enlargement Surgery – Frequently asked Questions

Adrian Richards, Leading Plastic Surgeon of Aurora clinics  answers some frequently asked questions about Breast Augmentations ie how long do the silicone implants last and when should they be replaced. For more information or should you wish to book a FREE Consultation with our specialist plastic surgeon, please call us on 01844 214362.

Breast Enlargement Surgery – Frequently Asked Questions

Hello. My name is Adrian Richards, and I’m a plastic surgeon and I work here in the UK with Aurora Clinics. I’m just going to answer a question I’m often asked in clinic with people who are considering breast augmentation, and that is, “How long can I expect the breast implants to last for?”

Well, the interesting thing is that now in 2009, we’re on the fourth generation of breast implants. So the original breast implants were smooth, coated, smooth shell, very thin, with liquid silicone, and they really didn’t last as well because they were much more fragile. Now we’ve moved on to fourth generation implants to textured implants which reduce the rates of capsules, which I’ve talked about in another video. But also, the silicone is more solid and the shell is much tougher.

So as a general rule, I say to my patients, you should expect the implants to last for at least 15 years with new implants. Now, does that mean that you have to change them at 15 years? Well, no. If they’re fine, they’re not broken, you don’t need to do anything. So our policy here at Aurora is we will see you every year to check everything’s okay, and then if necessary we can, if you’re concerned about anything or if anything’s changed, we can sort out and arrange an ultrasound or an MRI scan to assess the integrity of the implants.

Now at 15 years, if everything’s fine, you haven’t got any capsules, the breasts are still soft, a precautionary ultrasound shows that the implants are in good condition, no, you don’t need to have them changed. But we would recommend yearly ultrasound examinations and examination by one of our surgeons to make sure that everything’s fine. Some people do choose to have the implants changed at 15 years and that’s fine. They might want small adjustments. Sort of, you know, bigger, smaller or the latest generation, and that’s a decision that can be made after discussion with the surgeon. But as a general rule, there’s no reason why you have to have them changed at 15 years, and it’s really a personal choice.

So thanks very much for listening to the video. I hope it’s been helpful. If you’d like any information about breast augmentation or you’ve got any questions, please contact us either via the Aurora Clinics website or phone us on 01844 214362. Thanks very much.