When Should Breast Implants Be Replaced? (Not in 10 Years)

At Glamour Plastic Surgery and Med Spa, a highly acclaimed Houston-area cosmetic surgery facility and medical spa, Dr. Olga Bachilo often receives questions from her patients regarding the use of breast implants. One very important question is: When is it time to change breast implants, or how often should breast implants be replaced?

15-20 Years is the Optimal Lifespan for Breast Implants

Dr. Bachilo, an expert in implant-based breast augmentation surgery who has successfully performed hundreds of breast implant procedures producing consistently beautiful and natural-looking results, recommends that, unless you are experiencing some type of complication or discomfort as a result of your breast implants, normal healthy breast implants should be replaced every 15-20 years.

While many women have been taught to believe that 10 years is the optimal time, Dr. Bachilo advises that, unless there is some kind of problem, there is no need to intervene with the breasts again as early as 10 years following the previous surgery. She recommends waiting until 15-20 years to allow for breasts to change and settle over time, in reaction to weight fluctuations, and as a natural result of the aging process.

Reducing the Risk of Rupture

Dr. Bachilo notes that breasts change over time, and breast implants typically have a 1% risk of rupture per year. For this reason, even if there is no evident problem with an implant at the 20 year mark, the risk of rupture at that point has increased to 20% and thus, for the sake of prevention, it would be advisable to change the implant at this time.

If you’d like to have your breast implants examined to see if it’s time for an implant replacement, contact Dr. Olga Bachilo at Glamour Plastic Surgery and Med Spa, serving residents of Katy, Sugar Land, and Houston, as well as neighboring communities in the greater Houston area.