Best to have a consultation with a plastic surgeon. At 23 years, it is quite possible, especially if you have silicone implants (saline implants if they fail tend to be much more obvious with loss of volume) for there to be some degree of implant "failure" which may not be detectable with imaging studies. Breast implant removal if needed does not need to be combined with a replacement if you choose as many women, especially after 40 years with 2 sets of implants, opt for removal only then reshaping the breasts as with breast lift or fat grafting to enhance the appearance.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Thank you for your question. The FDA recommends changing your implants out every 10-15 years, but I recommend consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon. It sounds like you may have capsular contracture.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Implants are not lifetime devices, so it's not unreasonable to consider replacing them after 22 years. It's unlikely you will avoid having an implant replacement or removal procedure again in the future. I would recommend seeing your plastic surgeon or finding a new one to evaluate your breasts and come up with recommendations. Medication such as Singular may be suggested as an option to try. It is possible you are developing late-onset capsular contracture, which may have been triggered by your smoking, but that is hard to say for certain.

Published on Jul 11, 2012