61 y/o considering a mommy makeover - will I be too old for implant removal 10 years from now?

BKitty63,Age is just a number! Many patients in their 60s, 70s and older are healthy enough for elective surgery. How long your implants will last is an estimate when we say 10 years. I tell my patients is could be 8 or 18, and we cross that bridge when we get there. If you are worried, saline implants when the deflate and remain in place or be removed under local anesthetic if you are at a point in your life where you can't undergo general surgery or implant replacement. How the implants "age" depend on the size chose, the location of the implant pocket, the characteristics of your skin and breast tissue. After 10 years, you might need a lift for example for the best results.Dr Stein

Dear Bkitty63,

age is not contraindication for surgery as long as you are healthy. Also, it is possible to remove implants under local anesthesia. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.

Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

You bring up two good points in your question… firstly, there is no age limit on plastic surgery… I have done first time breast augmentations on healthy 70 year olds and I have turned down 30 year olds for multiple reasons. Secondly, there is no pre-determined time in which you need to change or remove your implants. Implants can last on average 10-15 years, but I have seen many patients whose implants are still fine after 20 years. If you continue to exercise regularly and take care of your health as it sounds like you already do, you would still be an excellent candidate for surgery if you needed it in 10 years. Even if you weren’t, and I have operated on these patients as well, an implant removal can be done under local anesthesia with minimal risk.

Thanks so much for your inquire,

Age alone doesn’t make someone a poor candidate for future implant removal. In fact, women in their 70s and beyond can safely undergo implant removal if they’re in good overall health. The key factors will be your health and any medical conditions at that time. Since implants aren’t lifetime devices, planning for possible removal or exchange in the future is wise.

When discussing your mommy makeover, you can also talk with your surgeon about options that minimize implant dependency, such as fat grafting or other techniques, which might offer a long-term solution that aligns with your aesthetic goals as you age.
Sincerely,
Dr. Emmanuel Mallol

First and foremost, your age is just a number. Your physiological age is what counts and I suspect from what you describe, that you will still not be a true 71 in 10 years. Keep doing what you are doing.There is no definite rule that implants need to be removed or exchanged automatically at 10 years.I follow my patients yearly after the first year and monitor them with mammograms and exam. Unless there are changes, I do not exchange or remove implants. I have several patients doing fine with them after 20 years. Hope this helps.

I'm a firm believer that you should still be able to feel amazing in your own skin in your 60s, 70s and beyond. As long as you are overall healthy without underlying medical issues, you can safely undergo a mommy makeover at your age. And as you have realized, exercise and a healthy diet cannot always correct excess skin of the lower abdomen and separation of the muscles from pregnancy. These are best corrected with a tummy tuck. As far as a breast augmentation, there is no requirement to remove or exchange your implants in 10 years. If you are happy with your appearance and have no issues with your implants, you could potentially keep these for the rest of your life. If you did opt for an implant removal later in life, this can be safely be done under a lighter form of anesthesia. Best of luck in your journey and keep up the healthy lifestyle!

Implant removal is usually a fairly gentle procedure which could be done under sedation. If you are healthy and 70 years old, many patients can have surgery safely under general anesthesia. Hopefully your tissue will hold up and you will still be enjoying the implants at 70 years old. The implants do not have to be changed or removed at any point unless there is a certain problem demanding this.

There is no age cut off for breast surgery. If you do not have any issues or concerns related to your breast implants, you do not need to remove or replace them after 10 years.

As long as you are generally healthy both physically and psychologically, a mommy makeover at that age may be safe.

There is no time limit on implants and you don't have to exchange them every 10 years. This is an old thought that remains since the first generation of the implants in the 1970's would fall apart at 8-10 years. New implants don't fall apart. As long as you don't have a problems with them, you can keep them.
Your plastic surgeon will determine the best fitting implant for your anatomy, skin tightness, shape, etc.