This week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.
Question: I had mastectomy & silicone implants in late '92. I was never happy with them. My concern is the years I've had my implants, and I won't go back to my plastic surgeon who did them. Should I have any concerns about their age? I do have other issues with the appearance. Thank you in advance.
Answer: In general, implants don’t need to be replaced after any certain time following surgery. As time goes by, there is a chance that the implants could leak. In that situation, they would likely change by getting more firm. If the implants are not causing problems, there is probably nothing wrong. If you are unhappy with the results, then you should have a plastic surgeon see you and give an opinion. If you don’t want to go back to the surgeon who did the surgery, then you should get a second opinion from another plastic surgeon in your area. We see patients who have had problems with their implants frequently and if you would like to be seen we could make arrangements. If you are not in the area, I would be glad to make arrangements for a phone consult. Just let me know. Thank you for your question.
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