Virginia Breast Augmentation Blog

You may have read that breast implants last X years or that after Y years you should have revision surgery, but you should take these numbers with a grain of salt. Asking how long breast implants last is like asking "How long will my car keep running?" Breast implants are designed to last for a lifetime, but it is impossible to know how long, exactly, they will last. Barring accidents and complications, breast implants can last indefinitely, although there is some evidence that the rate of ruptures can increase with time.

Like a car, you can keep your breast implants until there's a problem, or you can trade them in for newer implants if the old ones no longer fit your style. If one of your breast implants ruptures, it can lead to deflation (for saline breast implants) or an increased risk of infection (for silicone breast implants) so at that point replacement is necessary.

Many women, though, decide to replace breast implants before rupture occurs because their results are no longer as good as they were before. Even after surgery, your breasts are subject to gravity, and your skin can become stretched just as it can with natural breasts. Where women without implants may seek a breast lift, you may be able to restore your results with breast implant revision surgery. You may decide that your style is changed and you want to change your breast implants for larger or smaller ones, saline for silicone, or vice versa.

At The Austin-Weston Center for Cosmetic Surgery, we do not recommend surgery to remove or replace your implants unless there is a problem. If you want to learn more about getting breast implants, or whether we would recommend revision surgery for your previous breast augmentation, please contact us today to schedule a consultation.