Revision Surgery Following Breast Augmentation

Many people are confused about just what they’re buying when it comes to breast implants; it is important to remember that they are not lifelong solutions.

The guarantee offered by implant manufacturers, which is passed on by the surgeon to the patient, is usually against rupture and not that they will last 25 years as some people are led to believe. Most implants will need replacing after 10-12 years.

Although they appear intact macroscopically (i.e. to the naked eye) after 12 years they may have microscopic fractures in the surface, (this appears intact and is NOT a rupture), which makes the body form a capsule around it and the patient perceives firmness. There is no guarantee against this.

However, if there is macroscopic rupture i.e. the implant has burst, which can be detected by the presence of firmness around the implant or sometimes a lump (often the first reason why patients seek additional medical advice due to the association with cancer) or by an ultrasound or MRI scan, then the "rupture guarantee" means a new implant will be supplied free of charge (by the manufacturer) but you still have to pay for the revision surgery to be performed (i.e. the hospital and surgeon).

This should be made clear to any potential patient in documents handed over and discussed during the consultation, so it is important to read and understand that this is a possibility and could mean you incur further, future costs if the implant fails, most patients, however, tend to think "it will not happen to me"!

This is a consequence of the patient’s biology and is not related to the surgery being substandard. Patients are counselled at the time of pre-op consultation that this can happen to between 5-6% of patients, typically between 3 and 4 years after the original surgery.

If this occurs they may need more surgery to take out the implant and the capsule but they are liable for the full cost as it is not the fault of the surgeon, hospital or breast implant.

It’s not nice if these things happen, but patients must realise such complications do occur, so the decision to have breast augmentation in the first instance should not be made lightly. When a patient who is a suitable candidate for surgery undergoes augmentation the result is usually excellent but careful screening to prevent patients from having surgery who might not get a good outcome is essential.

Also be sure to understand all the possible consequences of the surgery so there are no surprises that you did not know about.