Pros and cons of breast implant
The advantage of breast implant is you will see immediate difference the minute you wake up from surgery, and the result should be quite pleasing. However, there are many disadvantages that most plastic surgeons are reluctant to tell you. We summarize below some of the information from the FDA breast implant website. (
click here for full detail)
- Breast implants are not lifetime devices; the longer you have your implants, the more likely it will be for you to have them removed.
- The longer you have breast implants, the more likely you are to experience local complications and adverse outcomes.
- Many of the changes to your breast following implantation may be cosmetically undesirable and irreversible.
- The most common local complications and adverse outcomes are capsular contracture, reoperation, implant removal and rupture or deflation of the implant. Other complications include wrinkling, asymmetry, scarring, pain and infection at the incision site.
- You will need to monitor your breasts for the rest of your life. You will need to undergo MRI examinations every 2 years (currently costing around HK$5,000).
- You may have a very low but increased risk of developing a rare type of cancer.
According to one of the silicone implant manufacturing giants Mentor, chances of getting complications from implants after 3 years are more than 30%. (
click here for detail) Many doctors are speculating that autologous lipotransfer breast augmentation will replace implants as the main surgery in the next 10 years.
Upper left - After implant removal, the breasts are distorted
Upper right - Capsular contracture
Bottom left - Rupture / deflation of saline implant
Photo courtesy of Walter Peters, Ph.D., M.D., F.R.C.S.C., University of Toronto.
