Breast implant myths

Breast implant surgery has been done for over 50 years now, but many old and outdated thoughts about them still persist. I thought I would take a moment to dispel a few – if you are thinking about getting a breast augmentation with implants then this is definitely worth a read:

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MYTH 1- Breast implants have to be changed every 10 years. This came from a study that showed with the old silicone gel implants that a very high percentage were leaking within ten years. Since mammograms and other imaging studies could not always tell, the wisdom was to just change them. The more modern implants do not leak as easily, and I tell my patients to only change implants if there is a problem.
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MYTH 2- You should get one size bigger then you want because implants get smaller over time. Breast implants do not change in size unless they are damaged or leaking. Your body does change, with pregnancies and weight changes, and breast tissue can decrease over time. What is usually happening is that women get used to the size at the beginning while the breast is swollen from surgery, and once the swelling goes away, it looks smaller. I think if you and your Plastic Surgeon both look at the same picture, and are happy with that size, compare yourself to that picture after and you will be happy.
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MYTH 3- Your body can reject a breast implant. This is also not really true. Implants are not a natural part of your body, and you will create a capsule of collagen around the implant. Things such as infections, or a thinning of your natural tissue can cause an implant to need to be removed, but it is not a rejection by your body. The hardening of an implant, called capsular contraction, can also occur and is not a sign that your body is rejecting the implant.
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If you have doubts, or have heard strange things about breast augmentation from friends or on the internet, I suggest you visit us at SY Aesthetics for a complimentary consult so that you can hear the truth from a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.

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