Though silicone and saline breast implants are expected to last between 10 to 20 years, there may come a time when you feel you need a replacement procedure, known as breast implant revision or exchange. While patients typically need 1 to 2 implant replacements in their lifetime, others may never have the need to replace their implants.
Over time, silicone and saline breast implants can age and lose some of their desired qualities. Occasionally, breast implants can begin to harden, ripple, or rupture. In some scenarios, individuals may just want to change the size of their implants. At Richmond Aesthetic Surgery, we offer procedures and methods to help with deteriorating breast implants.
The trouble for many people is figuring out when is the right time to get a replacement. Other patients may be seeking an overall breast implant removal without replacement. If you’re unsure of when implants may need replacing, you can contact Richmond Aesthetic Surgery today or read further to learn about some of the signs for needing new breast implants.
Hardening Breast Implants
A telltale sign that you need a breast implant replacement is if your breasts begin to feel hard. While this complication is extremely rare at our practice, happening in less than 1% of cases, it is possible. This phenomenon is known as capsular contracture, which is essentially hardened scar tissue around the breast implants. You also may find lumps as a result of this hardening, which would be a red flag for you to contact your surgeon.
Rupturing Breast Implants
Older breast implants can become weak and eventually rupture causing an unnatural breast appearance. Silicone breast implants will often keep their shape even if they have ruptured; however with saline breast implants, they will often leak and eventually reduce in size, cause knots or, in rarer cases, cause pain. Although saline implants tend to leak, the material is not toxic and should not cause you to feel sick. Identifying ruptured breast implants may be hard as the signs may always be obvious. If you notice any sort of changes, you should contact your surgeon as soon as possible.
Wrinkling Breast Implants
Patients with older or underfilled breast implants may notice rippling or wrinkling within their breast. This could mean that the actual implant has folded or wrinkled which can cause an unwanted, bumpy texture. This defect is usually just a cosmetic error, but patients should have this fixed to achieve a smooth feel and look to their implants.
Changing the Size of Breast Implants
Even if there is nothing wrong with your breast implants in terms of rupturing, wrinkling, or hardening, individuals still may seek breast implant replacement for other reasons. One of those reasons may be as simple as wanting to change the size of your breast implants for aesthetic purposes. Richmond Aesthetic Surgery will gladly help you replace your breast implants.
Contact Richmond Aesthetic Surgery today if you’re considering getting breast implants, need a replacement or want to know more about cosmetic breast procedures.
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