There are many myths about breast implants but can they really burst or freeze? Do they have an expiry date, are they dangerous for your health? Consultant plastic surgeon Guy Sterne deflates the top 15 myths about breast implants... Breast implants can explode on a plane or while scuba diving
This started as an April Fools’ Day joke: a leading airline company told their cabin crew to be wary of the dangers of silicone implants blowing up at high altitudes. The reality is that these incredibly tough implants can easily cope with small atmospheric pressure changes associated with flying or deep diving. By the way, they can’t freeze either: this is another urban myth.
You have to replace implants every ten years We do not know how long any given breast implant will last for, but national data collected over a 17-year period suggests that about 5 per cent of implants need to be changed in the first year (due to capsular contracture mainly) and after this time, these implants fail at a rate of about 1 per cent per year. Therefore after ten years about 15 per cent will have been replaced, but 85 per cent are still going strong. I recently replaced a pair of implants which were put in 42 years ago. The usual sign that an implant needs to be replaced is that the breasts start to go hard, may become misshapen or uncomfortable. If they remain soft and natural there is no need to change the implants at all.
Everyone can tell when a woman has breast implants With careful planning and selection of an appropriate implant, most women with breast implants look completely natural. You would only know they had implants if they told you, unless they deliberately opted for the ‘enhanced’ look.
Implants make your breasts feel unnaturally firm Silicone can be made to closely mimic the consistency and feel of normal breast tissue. What can happen though (in about one in 20 breast implants), is that the implant may become firm due to an unnatural build-up of scar tissue around the implant – we call this ‘capsular contracture’.
Augmentation surgery is painful Stretching of the breast tissue is the main cause of discomfort with this procedure. Women who have already had their breasts ‘stretched’ by breastfeeding find this procedure less uncomfortable, as do women who opt for smaller implants. Placing the implant under the muscle is more uncomfortable but may be the only way to properly cover the implant.
Saline implants are just as good as silicone implants Breast implants all consist of a silicone rubber outer shell filled with a filler material. There are only two allowable filler materials: saline (salt water) or silicone. Saline feels like a bag of water inside the breast. Over time it escapes so that the implant deflates and develops ripples which can be felt and seen.
Silicone breast implants are dangerous Silicone implants are one of the most widely and extensively studied medical devices and have been used for breast enlargement since the early 1960s. Silicone is the most inert, biocompatible material used in medicine. A huge amount of research worldwide shows that it is safe.
You will not be able to breastfeed with implants The breast gland produces milk, which travels along breast ducts to the surface of the nipple. Because a breast enlargement operation does not divide these milk ducts, breastfeeding is not affected.
Guy Sterne is a consultant plastic surgeon practising in Birmingham, Worcester and Gloucester. Read more about Guy Sterne on Safer Cosmetic Surgery. To read the rest of this article and others like it, subscribe to Expert Beauty magazine. There is currently a special offer of just £10 for four issues!
