Breast Augmentation and Liposuction Blog - Dr. Bottger

Breast implant revision surgery is a common adverse result of breast augmentation. For women having primary breast augmentation, the breast implant removal rate is up to 20%. Why would women want to have their silicone gel breast implants removed? The table below summarizes the most common reasons, according to the FDA's recent safety update:

The difference between the Allergan and Mentor studies were obviously very significant. The Mentor study had a much higher rate for style or size changes, and a much lower rate for capsular contracture and virtually all other complications. However, it should be noted that two factors could contribute to this difference.

First, the Mentor study has currently only reported results for 8 years after surgery, whereas the Allergan study has reported results for 10 years after surgery. This is because the Allergan study began enrolling patients 20 months earlier than the Mentor study, and is highly significant because the incidence of breast augmentation complications have been shown to increase with time. If an additional 100 women report removal in the final two years of the Mentor study it will bring the two studies' overall implant removal rates in line with one another, and could significantly alter the proportion of removal reasons.

Second, the Mentor study had a very large number (over 10%) of women having breast implants removed for "other" reasons. It's hard to know what this might mean, but if we could assign them to actual reasons for removal, the proportions might seem more similar.

When considering breast augmentation, it is vital to consider the possible complications associated with breast implants. Philadelphia plastic surgeon Dr. David Bottger believes it is crucial that every patient understand these complications prior to having surgery.

To learn more about the safety of breast implants, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Bottger to discuss your concerns in person.

Labels: safety, silicone breast implant