Why Has Breast Implant Removal Decreased Since 2000?
The first breast implant procedure was done in 1962 to a woman named Timmie Jean Lindsey; a few decades later, the procedure had become popular among women who were willing to take to the operating table for a bigger bust.
When breast augmentation first became commonplace, women were opting for the largest implants they could squeeze into their skin, often against the advice of their surgeons who suggested smaller increases to create a balanced physique.
This would ultimately lead to thousands of breast implant removal procedures in the following years.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were 40,787 breast implant removals performed in 2000.
Over the next 18 years, that number dropped by the thousands to 29,236 in 2018.
WHAT CAUSED THE DECREASE IN IMPLANT REMOVALS?
In the last generation or so, there has been a trend among breast augmentation patients to opt for more subtle increases in breast size rather than going for the most extreme options.
In the last generation, there has been a trend to opt for more subtle increases in breast size, leading to fewer future implant removals.
Patients are finally listening to the advice of their surgeons and choosing a balanced appearance that they are less likely to change their minds about in five or 10 years.
SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY AND EXPERIENCE
Another contributing factor to the decline of breast implant removals is the technology and amount of experience available in today’s marketplace versus the 1980s or 1990s when breast augmentation became familiar.
Surgeons have now had more than 50 years to perfect cosmetic procedures like breast augmentation.
IMPROVED IMPLANT OPTIONS
The technology behind the implants themselves has also improved dramatically. In 2018, 88 percent of patients who underwent breast augmentation surgery opted for silicone implants over saline implants because the silicone versions are less prone to rupture and rippling.
Gummy bear implants, which mimic the natural shape of the breast, have helped to increase the long-term satisfaction of breast augmentation since they provide a more natural appearance and feel.
ARE BREAST AUGMENTATIONS STILL POPULAR?
The number of breast augmentation procedures undergone in the U.S. has increased from 296,000 in 2010 to 313,735 in 2018. Despite slight downward fluctuations between some years, this procedure has seen an overall increase over the last decade and remains, year after year, the most popular plastic surgery procedure in the country.
If this shows us anything, it is that the ability to achieve a full, balanced figure is more attainable now than ever before. And, considering the number of breast implant removals has decreased while augmentations have increased, the likelihood that you will have results that you are happy with 10, 15, 20, or even 40 years from now are the best they have ever been.
Of course, that is only if you have your breast augmentation performed by an experienced plastic surgeon like Dr. Mesbahi who is qualified to provide that caliber of results.
If you would like to get more information about breast augmentation, or if you are ready to schedule a consultation, call Dr. Mesbahi’s office.