Women who opt for breast implants may be signing up to a lifetime of follow-up surgical procedures. That’s according to the Food and Drug Administration, which says women who get implants commonly need surgery within 10 years for maintenance, such as dealing with ruptures.

Reuters reports the FDA looked at several long-term studies to reach its conclusions.

Says an FDA higher-up:

“The key point is that breast implants are not lifetime devices. The longer you have the implant, the more likely you are to have complications.”

The FDA says 70 percent of women who receive implants for medical reasons need follow-up surgery within 10 years, while 40 percent of women who opt for breast enlargement need surgery within that span.

Potential complications from breast implants include rupturing, hardening, deflation and wrinkling of the implants.

Women can’t keep breast implants for life: FDA [Reuters]
(Thanks, Michael!)

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