FAQ Breast Implants

What is a breast implant ?

A breast implant is made from silicone elastomer ( solid silicone) usually filled with physiological serum ( Water and salt) or with silicon gel.

The shape of the implant is generally round but in some cases it possible to use « anatomical » contoured implants with a drop shape.

The shape of the implant can be smooth or rough (texture) decreasing in that case the risk of forming of shell around the implant.

At what age can you use a breast implant?
There's a limit age  for breast implants. In plastic surgery breast implants are not authorized during puberty, especially in the case of an important mammary asymetry .

For girls, the hormonal evolution and the possible grip of a contraceptive are factors which can modify the size of the breast. It's better to wait for the end of the puberty to appreciate the volume of breast.

After a cancer the breast  reconstruction by prosthesis is the simplest and the fastest method for reconstruction.

There is no limit of age, only the general state of the patient authorizing a general anesthetic is the limiting factor.

Can I choose the size of my implants  ?

In plastic surgery it's necessary to talk with his surgeon about the size of the wished breast. He will advise you a volume of implant adapted to your morphology.

Sometimes some people use pictures from  magazines to clarify their wish . 

In mammary reconstruction, the surgeon adapt the volume of the implant  to  the remaining breast. In certain cases , reshaping off the remaining breast is possible,in the meantime, the surgeon can harmonize the breast. It's called a plastie  symetrisation.

Silicone  is used since 1950 as implantable material. It is considered as the best tolerated biomaterial because it is not allergisante and sluggish.

The molecules of silicone present  in the human body since birth. It is estimated that approximately 6 g of silicone is  present in the body of an adult.

Silicone is used as lubricant for needles, syringes and surgical instruments but also as anti-froth(anti-moss) in glues, as anti-adhesives in certain bandages, but especially in beauty care for make-up. They can also be found  in dummies for babies, as well as  in sun creams, lipsticks, deodorants and numerous  kind of medicines.

Silicone was incriminated for activating auto-immune diseases for certain persons. Because of the huge number of women having mammary protheses ( estimation of more than 10 millions), it's normal to observe an association of these pathologies on these woman .Today, there's no material evidence scientifically recognized that silicone prothesis increase risks of auto-immune diseases .

   

How are breast implant inserted? 

 breast implant fits or under the gland (rétro-glandular position ) Let be under the pectoral Big muscle (rétro-pectoral position ) (Figure 1).

This second technique allows lesser feeling of the prosthesis when you touch it, especially when there's poor glandular tissue (on women with weak volume of bosoms) or after mastectomie.

In plastic surgery the section used to insert the implant is classically cut at the aréole's place,in the armpit or in the furrow under the breast (figure 2). The surgeon must explain to his patient, in a precise way, the techniques and methods which are the most adapted to one's case.

  

Which is the average duration of the intervention  ?

In plastic surgery, in general, it's a short intervention with a duration from 1 hour to 1:30 am. 

In reconstruction of the breast after cancer, the intervention can be longer (2 hours) especially if a cutaneous contribution is necessary.

In the end of how long one can resume a professional activity  ? 

It's necessary to count approximately 24 at 48 am of hospitalization and 8 in 10 working days of detention with a limitation in the daily life (port(bearing) of load(responsibility) kicks out, led(driven) motorcar, sporting practice).

   
 

 Which are the inconveniences associated with breast implants?  What are their frequency ?
 

As for all the materials foreign to the human body, there's a risk of appearance of inconveniences or complications with the breast implants.

In the medical literature one finds especially the following risks:

 Modification of the sensibility of the breast and\or the aréole,

 Interference with the mammography,

 Movement of the implant,

 Forming(Training) of a contractile hull(shell),

 Forming(Training) of folds or aspect of waves,

 Break for implants pre-filled(pre-performed) with frost(gel) of silicone,

 Deflation for the inflatable implants in the physiological serum,

 Calcifications.

 

  Do Breast Implants increase the risk for breast cancer ?
 Different studies to this topic, which were executed in different countries, do not show connection between the use of Breast Implants and the frequency in occurring breast cancer. In the opposite: Women who have Breast Implants detect the occurring breast cancer statistically in an earlier stage than the average woman. This may not only be due to an increased watchfulness and sensitization, but also due to the necessarily more frequently preventive checks done by the physician. 

  

 Which is the average cost  Of this intervention?
It varies between 4000 € and 5000 € according to different elements:

The type of implants used (the anatomical said implants are dearer(more expensive)),

The place of the intervention: private hospital or hospital,

The duration of hospitalization,

The fees of the surgeon and the anaesthetist.

 In case of reconstruction after cancer, the coverage by the health insurance is automatic.

 In plastic surgery, this intervention is totally chargeable to the patient.

 

Does one have to replace a breast implant? At the end of how long?
Some patients have implants which raise no problem for more than 20 years.

Nevertheless, a breast implant is never put in definitive title.

As any biomaterial the normal wear and the inconveniences inherent to its presence determines its life expectancy(cycle).

In our study, we calculated the median of life  Of a breast implant on a series of 949 implants and a maximal follow-up of 14 years.

The life expectancy(cycle)  Of an implant in frost(gel) of silicone is superior to that of an inflatable implant in the physiological serum and this because of the biggest frequency of deflation of these last ones.

However the real percentage of break of implants in frost(gel) of silicone can be underestimated by the unknown number of break asymptomatique.

One considers that the life expectancy(cycle) of a breast implant is on the whole, of 127 months ( more than 10 years) with an annual incidence of 7 % loss.

 

 Are there signs « of wear » of an implant?
For an implant pre-filled(pre-performed) in frost(gel) of silicone, on the clinical plan, the discovery of a hernia of the prosthesis can be suspect of break. In the same way, the digitized mammography can diagnose an intra-capsulaire break.

For an inflatable prosthesis, the key issue is the deflation, by which the risk increases with the age of the implant. The deflation  Being an event appearing quickly and brutally, there's no forerunner.

Can implants burst in the airplane ?

This fear comes from a kind of "immortal rumor". Passengers are never exposed to such pressure fluctuations during the flight in civilian airplanes. Else the Implants themselves are in their characteristic extremely resistant and flexible.