Your Health Insurance will not pay for your breast implants

Breast implants is considered a purely cosmetic plastic surgery procedure for almost all insurance companies. If you’re considering breast implants, the chances are you will be paying out of pocket. The cost varies according to the implant options and the facilities. Most facilities will also charge a facility fee. You’re looking at somewhere from $5,000 to over $12,000. The more complicated procedure you require, the more costly.

Most facilities offer financing options. Talk to the staff members about their financing plans. Many will let you pay in installments. Others offer loans and credits. If you’re only thinking about a procedure some time down the road, you can start saving now and open a savings account just for this purpose. It’s much easier to save for a few years before you have the procedure done.

Safety Information of Silicone Gel-Filled Breast Implants

Silicone gel-filled breast implants have a silicone outer shell that is filled with silicone gel. They come in different sizes and have either smooth or textured shells. Silicone gel-filled breast implants are approved for breast augmentation in women age 22 or older and for breast reconstruction in women of any age. They are also used in revision surgeries, which correct or improve the result of an original surgery.

Breast implants are not lifetime devices. The longer you have implants, the more likely it is that you will need to have surgery to remove them.

The most frequent complications and adverse outcomes experienced by breast implant patients include capsular contracture, reoperation, and implant removal (with or without replacement). Other common complications include implant rupture, wrinkling, asymmetry, scarring, pain, and infection. In addition, women with breast implants may have a very low but increased likelihood of being diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL).

MRI continues to be the most effective method of detecting silent rupture of silicone gel-filled breast implants. If you have silicone gel-filled breast implants, the FDA recommends that you receive MRI screening for silent rupture 3 years after receiving your implant and every 2 years after that.

 

Source: The FDA

 

Breast implants come with risks

We hear it all the time that breast implants are getting safer and easier. 70-year old grandmoms are getting work done. Young girls are receiving breast implants as high school graduation gifts. So we start thinking that since it’s getting safer, easier, and less expensive, we might all attempt to try. Here’s a catch. We don’t hear all the details and the things that went wrong.

If you surf the Google news everyday, you probably have read a recent article about a 40-year old stay at home mom’s ordeal. Her went in for a small procedule just to reshape her existing implants. Then the next thing she know, she ended up having a unibreast. Do you know what that is, instead of two breasts, she had a large one connected breast. How terrible! After some battle, she finally had them fixed with a reputable expert surgeon.

So if you’re still thinking about it, do your research and don’t go with just any online ads. The cheaper ones might not be the best ones. Also be sure the surgeon is certified and has experiences, lots of it. Ask for references. Just like you would with a plumber. Why not asking for references for your implants!

Breast reconstruction is different from breast implants

Unlike breast implants which are done to enlarge breasts, breast reconstruction is a surgery that is performed to rebuild a breast’s shape. Women receive breast reconstruction usually after a mastectomy. Women receive breast implants for cosmetic reasons. A breast reconstruction sometimes is medically necessary. However, a breast reconstruction will not be able to replace the natural breast. The  doctors can make the reconstruction look like natural breast. The procedure is close to that of breast implants except it might involve more than one surgery. Each reconstruction is different depending on the patient’s age and cancer treatment.

Source: National Cancer Institute

How do breast implants work?

We hear about breast implants all the time. Women young and old are thinking about getting theirs done. But do you know all the details? Breast implants are medical procedures and they cannot be reversed. Like all plastic surgeries, breast implants are medical devices. They are implanted either under breast tissue or under the chest muscle for breast augmentation or reconstruction. Currently, there are two major types: saline-filled and silicone gel-filled on the market.

Saline-filled breast implants are basically silicone shells. The doctors use either refilled silicone shells or filled with saline during surgery. In most cases, these allow for adjustments of the filler volume even after the surgery. Silicone gel-filled breast implants are silicone shells prefilled with silicone gel. Whether you would use one or the other depends on your doctor or your preference.

You don’t usually think about it, but breast implants vary in profile, size, and shell surface. Which means the surface can be smooth or textured.

Source: FDA

Are breast implants permanent?

Many people think that breast implants are permanent. The fact is, breast implants do not last forever. Women who got breast implants usually will have them done again with aging or they decide to enlarge again. So if you decide to get breast implants, you will also likely need additional surgeries on your breasts over your lifetime due to rupture, other complications (for example, capsular contracture, breast pain).

There is another risk factor that most women are unaware of. That is unacceptable cosmetic outcomes. Such outcomes can be: asymmetry, unsatisfactory style/size, or wrinkling/rippling. Of course, you don’t hear about these normally. There have been cases where a second implants had to be done to make corrections. Once you decide to put yourself through, any outcomes should be factored in.

Source: FDA

Think very hard before getting breast implants if you’re young

Breast implants do not last for ever. If you’re young, you need to consider the cost and pain that are associated with breast implants. Unless you desperately need implants, you should reconsider the decision. Some important factors to consider include: Breast implants do not last forever. You will almost certain need additional surgeries on your breasts as you age, or due to complications or unsatisfactory cosmetic outcomes.

You also need to consider that changes done to your breasts usually cannot be undone. In other words, if you don’t like the result of the surgery, you can’t just ask for the implants to be removed. Because you will look awful and your breasts cannot go back to their original size, shape, or look. You may even have permanent dimpling, puckering, wrinkling, or other cosmetic changes.

Source: FDA

Participate in a clinical study for breast implants

It is possible to participate in a clinical study for breast implants to receive a free implants.If you feel that having breast implants will definitely change your life and are willing to take risks, there are companies, U.S. Federal government groups, other government groups, professional societies, and consumer groups involved in breast implant issues.

Information about participation in a clinical study can be obtained from the companies conducting the study. See the company contact information at Breast Implants Resource Groups.

Source: FDA

Women age 50 and older with breast implants should have routine mammograms

If you are at the age of 50 or older, and you have breast implants, routine mammograms are recommended. You should also be sure to have these examinations at the recommended regularly scheduled times. Some women who undergo reconstruction will have some breast tissue remaining, and some have all of their breast tissue removed. It is important that a woman with remaining breast tissue continue to have mammography of that breast, as well as of the other breast, to detect breast cancer.

If you are considering getting breast implants after 50, the other serious risk you should consider before getting breast implants is that the implants may interfere with the detection of cancer. And if you already have breast implants, the risk is that breast compression during mammography may cause implant rupture/deflation.

Source: The FDA

Breast implants do not last forever

Unlike some cosmetic surgery that can last a lifetime, breast implants do not last forever. Women are considering getting or getting breast implants at much younger age. If you are considering one for yourself, you need to be aware that you will likely need additional surgeries on your breasts over your lifetime due to rupture and other complications.

Breast implants can have capsular contracture and breast pain. Even with a successful implant, you can still experience unacceptable cosmetic outcomes such as asymmetry, unsatisfactory style and size, and even wrinkling and rippling.

If you are in your 20s, you might want to reconsider this important decision and ask yourself whether you’re ready for all that.

Source: FDA