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Are Today's Breast Implants Safer Than They Were 15 Years Ago?

asked 3 years ago by juliemaria in uk
Latest answer by Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Question viewed 1,059 times

I have 15 year old silicone breast implants. Are today’s silicone implants any safer? I have been ill on and off ever since having the implants, but now I am sick most of the time.

I have had blood results back which say that I have high levels of silicone and high levels of nickel in my blood. I am not ready to live life without boobs, but I don’t want to be ill for the rest of my life. So as you can see, I need to weigh the odds. This brings me back to the question above, are the silicone breast implants today any safer than they were 15 years ago?

13 answers to Are Today's Breast Implants Safer Than They Were 15 Years Ago?

Breast implants are safe

Silicone implants of any age have not been found to cause any disease. The illnesses that we were concerned were linked to the implants have been found to be just as common in women without implants as with silicone implants. The FDA has published all the pertinent data. That being said, today's implants are much less likely to leak than the old implants. The old implants had a very thin outer shell that could rupture easily. They were filled with liquid silicone and caused a big mess if... more

John Squires, MD
Denver Plastic Surgeon

Silicone gel breast implants

15 years ago, the breast implants were well designed. I personally don't think they are much safer than they were then. Have you considered saline implants? Although studies don't warrant an association between autoimmune diseases and silicone breast implants, there is no liquid silicone in saline implants. That being said, if your implants are 15 years old, they may be due for replacement. Your plastic surgeon can go over the risks/benefits and detection methods for silent rupture of... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Silicone Implant Safety - Then and Now

I am so sorry that you are suffering from your unidentified illness but it would be rare to be related to your implants. Here are the answers to your question and a whole lot more information to back up the statements I will make. The major change of silicone breast implants is that they are all to a degree cohesive regardless of manufacturer since 2006. That being said, Silicone implants from American Companies have always been safe and NOT related or causing systemic disease processes... more

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Safer Breast Implants

I think there are subtle differences from now to 15 years ago. At that time some of the silicone shells were made with a platinum curing technique that yielded more ruptures. Also the silicone gel inside the implants then was more watery or running, whereas now it is thicker or more cohesive. The difference with that is in the case of a rupture of the shell the silicone does not move out as easily. In general they are safe, whether 15 years ago or the present day, but I think there are small... more

Julio Garcia, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Silicone Implants

Silicone implants do not cause autoimmune disorders or malaise. This was proven in numerous scientific articles in the literature. As to the question related to the implant itself, I think that the implants today are very similar to the implnats of 10-15 years ago, perhaps the shell is slightly better today.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Todays breast implants have a lower bleed or leak than in the past

Breast implants manufactured and approved by the FDA today do indeed have lower leakage rates or silicone bleed than the implants used in the past. Improvements have been made in the shell or envelope of the implant which is more durable and less prone to rupture, and the covering itself will not allow as much leakage through the shell called silicone bleed. Silicone leakage is a cause of firmness or capsular contracture and can cause the implants to become stiff and uncomfortable over... more

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

www.peterejohnsonmd.com

Research says no link but you are sick; so what are options?

I can appreciate your frustration: the research says there should be no link between your symptoms and silicone implants yet you have these problems. In your situation, it really comes down to you ulimately making the choice as to which is worse, no breast implants, or breast implants with problems. It's a difficult choice and one only you can make. We, as professionals, can quote you the literature and tell you there is no association but it is your body and you feel there is definitely... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Yes, today's implants are safer

The implant companies have put lots of Research and Development into making a product that is stronger and less likely to leak. You can rest assured that you can replace your old implants with the new cohesive gel implants and they will not have a negative effect on your health. Just for fun, if you have a chance you should see the videos my staff made to show our patients how strong the new implants are. Good luck!

Thomas T. Nguyen, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Interesting

Scientific studies have shown no link between the implants and illnesses. Still, some people do seem to be adversely affected by them. One thing you could consider is saline implants. Otherwise, I feel that the newer gel implants are less likely to "bleed" through the implant wall. sscottkinfw@msn.com www.drkasden.us

Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Silicone implants do not cause any diseases.

Hi! There are a lot of good scientific data that your symptoms are not caused by your implants. But even though that is true, why live with anxiety? You can have the implants replaced with saline filled implants. You will sleep better! We don't always have to be absolutely rational.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Technology does improve

Breast implant technology has improved over time. However, the symptoms you are describing have not been proven to be related to silicone implants. Therefore, replacing your implants with new ones are not expected to help relieve your symptoms. Discuss your concerns with your plastic surgeon prior to deciding on surgery. One option would be implant removal and replacement some time later to see if your symptoms resolve.

Bahram Ghaderi, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Several Important Considerations

Hi there- There are several important pieces of information for you to consider.... It is important to understand that absolutely none of the well-collected and reasoned scientific data of the past 40 years would substantiate the idea that your malaise, or any other health problem, were caused by your implants. After this much time and research, we simply don't have any reason to believe implants are to blame for these problems. With regard to your question, I think that the new implant designs more

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

Today's Silicone Implants are safer

The newer Silicon Gel Breast Implants that were FDA approved 3 years ago are better and safer than the Silicone breast Implants of 15 years ago. The main improvements have been in Shell integrity (stronger outer shell with statistically lees rupture) and the development of Cohesive gel (gel that stays put after rupture of the implant). Capsular contracture and rupture rates of the new implants are better than was the case 15 years ago. However, with your history you might want to consider... more