Can I Get a Lift and Keep my Implants?

Yes, it is possible to leave your breast implants in place ( assuming they are in good shape) and undergo breast lifting surgery. If your plastic surgeon has recommended silicone gel breast implants,  he/she  may have reasons for doing so ( it will be best for you to discuss this with him/her).  Saline and silicone gel breast implants each have their advantages/disadvantages.

For example, some surgeons feel that silicone implants have a more natural look and feel than saline implants because silicone gel has a texture that is similar to breast tissue. Each patient differs in the amount of breast tissue that they have.  If a patient has enough breast tissue to cover the implant, the final result will be similar when comparing saline implants versus silicone gel implants.  If a patient has very low body fat and/or very little breast tissue, the silicone gel implants may provide a more "natural" result.


On the other hand, saline implants have some advantages over silicone implants. Silicone implant ruptures are harder to detect. When saline implants rupture, they deflate and the results are seen almost immediately. When silicone implants rupture, the breast often looks and feels the same because the silicone gel may leak into surrounding areas of the breast without a visible difference.  Patients may need an MRI to diagnose a silicone gel rupture.   Saline implants are also less expensive than the silicone gel implants.
Other differences involve how the breast implants are filled. Saline implants are filled after they’re implanted, so saline implants require a smaller incision than prefilled silicone breast implants.
On May 10, 2000, the FDA granted approval of saline-filled breast implants manufactured by Mentor Corporation and McGhan Medical.  

Best wishes.

Why not replace your current implants with the latest type of silicone implants ? The type of breast lift and sequencing with implant replacement depends in part on where your implants reside in your breast, what type of lift you need, and how thin your breast tissues are. Seek out a good plastic surgeon for this type of revisionary cosmetic breast surgery.

While it is technically possible to do a lift over your old implants, since your implants are already 15+ years old, the odds are that they will probably leak / deflate fairly soon.  Generally, if a patient's implants are more than 10-12 years old, and we are planning a breast operation, I would recommend changing them to new ones while you are under anesthesia.  Much less hassle than waking up one day with a deflation!