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Do Risks of Breast Implant Rejection and Infection Increase with Age?

asked 2 years ago by anon
Latest answer by Steven Wallach, MD
Question viewed 1,483 times
Tags: age 35-44, breasts, female, complication, infection

I'm 37 years old. I'm thinking of having a procedure, Breast Implant with Breast Lift. I'm worried if I would get infection or rejection of implant since I'm not young and healthy due to age.

I have my ear cartilage pierced for almost 3 years for now but even now, cartilage earring keeps getting infected so many times.

Can this be a clue to my high chances of complication? This sounds like a stupid question but I'm really curious to know since its big deal for me to get this surgery.

15 answers to Do Risks of Breast Implant Rejection and Infection Increase with Age?

Age does not increase breast implant risks

37 is young! You are the prime age to get breast implants and enjoy the results. Women who have had children and watched their breasts shrink and sag are the happiest group of patients who choose breast implants or implants with uplift. The human body does not reject breast implants. The materials that go into an implant are not recognized as foreign and no rejection process takes place. Infections around breast implants is a rarity. I have performed thousands of breast implants over a 30... more

Richard L. Dolsky, MD
Philadelphia Plastic Surgeon

No increased risk from breast implants for healthy patients

Someone as young as yourself, who is in good health, is no increased risk for infection from a breast augmentation. Risk factors for infection include: diabetes, chronic mastitis (breast infections), and smoking. If you are in good health, then your age is not a problem.

Robert M. Jensen, MD
Medford Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implant risks do not increase with age

37 isn't old, and certainly not a cause for ill health. The earring should be removed and left out before you lose your ear. My professional opinion is that you should not put a hole in any cartilage. Breast Implants per se don't get rejected. Infections do occur but if you are in good health, the risk is acceptable. sek

Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implant and Lift in the Elderly

I would hardly consider 37 old age, unless you have some significant underlying medical conditions that you have not told us about. Othewise, increasing age does not increase your chance of infection or implant rejection. There is really no such thing as implant rejection per se. Good luck.

Farbod Esmailian, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Breasts implants and breast lift do great at age 37.

Hi. You don't really think you are old , do you? In New York City, we do breast lift and breast implants on women in their 60's, and they do great. By the way, breast implants do not get rejected at any age.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Does age affect the risk of infection with breast implants?

Hi there- There is no reason to believe that increased age increases your risk of infection, or any other complication, with breast implants, with or without a breast lift. As long as you are healthy enough to undergo the procedure, and do not have other problems that DO increase your risk of problems, such as diabetes, a history of smoking, the need for medications that complicate healing, etc, your risk of problems should be low regardless of age. I would also agree that because you have... more

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

Risks with breast implants and lifts

If you are otherwise healthy, the risks do not go up with age for breast implants and lifts. The tissues are worse to work with and sometimes the expectations are surprisingly higher than you might expect but the risks are the same. As has been said any chronic infection in your body will increase your risk of infection of an implant so the ear piercing needs to come out and heal over. It might even need debridement becasue cartilage has such a low blood flow that it often can't clear... more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Relationship of Breast Implant Complications with Age

Your risks of problems at 37 years of age should be quite low assuming that you are relatively healthy. You mention that you are not healthy. If this is due to diabetes, smoking, heart disease, etc., then you probably do have increased risks. I do not feel that the problem with your ear piercing has any bearing on this. It is, I agree, most likely due to a metal allergy.

John Whitt, MD
Louisville Plastic Surgeon

No such thing as breast implant rejection

In general, the risk of complications from surgery of any type increase with age, but only because older people are often less healthy. At 37, you are certainly not in that category. The term "rejection" implies some sort of allergic response which isn't the case with medical grade silicone, so I don't see any reason to infer that your problem with metal earrings should affect your decision about implants.

Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Implant rejection and infection

The ear problem may be more an indication of an allergic reaction to the metal than a true infection. Infections of the ear cartilage are serious and difficult to treat. Infections in other parts of the body can increase the possibility of an implant infection so these definitely should be treated prior to placement of an implant. Your overall physiologic health is more relevant to the healing process than your chronologic age. IF you are in good general health, there should be no increased... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

No relationship between age and Breast Implant rejection and infection risk

NO! There is not any relationship with age and implant infection or risks of rejection. The risks are the medical conditions as Dr. Aldea has stated so excellently. As for the continual infections from a ear piercing. TAKE out the earring for 2 months to allow the tissue to heal than have it re-pierced. Regards.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Is Aging a risk Factor for Breast Augmentation / Lift

Aging is NOT a risk factor for complications with Breast Augmentation / Lifting. On the other hand, active infections elsewhere, smoking, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, low immunity and other factors do raise your chances for complications. I WOULD suggest you remove your ear piercing and have it looked at by either an ENT or Plastic surgeon. A cartilage infection could irreveribly damage the shape of your ear and MAY serve as a potential source of infecting breast implants... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Implants and infection

If you are healthy, you have a pretty low risk of developing an infection with implants. The ear cartilage is more prone to infection when pierced.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Breast Lift Complications

The incidence of infection after breast lift with augmentation is higher than either procedure done by themselves. However the incidence is still very low. Age is not a factor. There is no correlation with the ear infection and subsequent breast surgery. Rejection of a breast implant does not occur. Have the breast surgery without any concerns. You will love your new look.

Todd B. Koch, MD
Buffalo Plastic Surgeon

www.toddbkochmd.com

Infection after breast augmentation and lift

The ear cartilage has a poor blood supply and can get infected. However, the problems you have had with your ear, do not indicate that you would have problems with healing in the breast area. I consider you young, and the majority of my breast augmentation with or without lift patients are in your age group.