When To Change Breast Implants

I’d like to talk to you about the “shelf life” of breast implants. My Delaware breast augmentation patients know that even though “diamonds are forever", breast implants aren’t.

Why Should You Replace Your Breast Implants?

Here are a few reasons you might decide to change your breast implants.

1. You want to be either larger or smaller than you are now;
2. You want to change the shape or projection of your implants;
3. You want to switch from saline-filled to gel-filled (or vice versa);
4. You have a capsular contracture (painful hardening around the implant pocket);
5. Your saline implants (one or both) have deflated;
6. You see wrinkling, rippling, bottoming out or a“double bubble”
7. You had a breast aug several years ago and now you want a breast lift because your breasts are sagging. Note that it's not always necessary to replace your implants during a breast lift. If you're happy with the size and just want to eliminate the sagging, so long as the implants are still in good shape, they won't need to be replaced with new ones.

How Long Should My Implants Last?

While most breast implant manufacturers suggest that implants will last about ten years, some women never need to replace them. Some women need to replace them within 7 years. It varies.

Will I Have New Scars if I Replace My Breast Implants?

Not usually. Unless your scars from the original breast augmentation procedure are hypertrophic, the same incisions are used.

How Will I Know If My Breast Implants Are “Too Old?”

If you don't have one of the problems in the list above, don't worry. It's a case of "if it's not broke, don't fix it." However, if you have any concerns about your implants, set up a time to come in and see me. Keep in mind that, while saline-filled implant rupture is obvious, gel-filled implant failure isn’t. So, if you have women's intuition that your breast implants need some attention, just set an appointment. I’ll examine you and tell you if I think there's anything to be concerned about. Until then, enjoy your beautiful figure!

To your health and beauty,

Joe Danyo, MD

Traffic And Your Skin

We all know that aging is a natural part of life, and that we can indeed age gracefully. That’s where my job as an East Coast plastic surgeon comes in. Botox, facelifts, blepharoplasties, and even skin resurfacing are just are few procedures and treatments that will make your skin appear youthful. But have you ever wondered if it’s not just life that is causing your skin to wrinkle and discolor?

Recent studies suggest a correlation between living near a busy highway and increased skin wrinkling and pigmented spots. In fact, airborne particles that are traffic related has now taken the top third spot as a cause of early skin aging. It falls right beneath ultraviolet radiation and tobacco smoke. Meaning, if you live in an heavily populated and busy area where a lot of traffic occurs, such as the city, your skin is more likely to age faster than someone’s skin that isn’t exposed to such things. Of course, UV rays and smoke must be factored in as well. But perhaps this is the reason why plastic surgery is more popular in city areas. 

This study only backs up previous data on the harmful effects of traffic related particles. Besides being terrible for your lungs, these airborne particles have been linked to cognitive failure in the elderly, and have also been linked to type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Though it’s not easy to avoid all traffic-related airborne particles, especially if you live in a big city where traffic never stops, it may be a good idea to take extra care of your skin. Of course when all else fails, my East Coast plastic surgery practice can help keep your skin beautiful, rejuvenated and young.

To your health and beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo

Less Botox But Same Great Results

Botox is one of the most popular procedures in plastic surgeon offices, including my East Coast plastic surgery one. This procedure is mainly popular due to it being minimally invasive, time efficient, usually taking only fifteen minutes, and simple. However, Botox injections are not a onetime thing, usually consisting of injections every three months.

This can be a slight turn off to some potential patients that may not want to shell out money four times a year. And it’s no surprise that Botox injections indefinitely with visit every three months can become costly, especially if a patient starts young as suggested by plastic surgeons.

But patients afraid of costs may soon find Botox more accessible due to a new study conducted at the Oregon Health and Science University’s Casey Eye Institute. The study found that patients receiving Botox treatments every four months for two years can then cut their Botox injections to every six months. Though best results are still more likely to be seen in treatment every three months, this new time line will get similar results in the least amount of time.

With these new results, Botox is more than likely to become even more popular. More people are prone to undergo Botox if visits of four a year can now be cut to three or two a year with great wrinkle reducing results. It’s never been easier.

Will you consider Botox now that visits don’t have to be as often? If you already get Botox, will you cut your visits down?

To your health and beauty,

Dr. Joseph Danyo

Change Your Implants In A Timely Manner

Gel-filled implants are fast becoming a favorite among breast enhancement patients, including the patients in my East Coast plastic surgery office. Due to their consistency, a gel-filled implant gives a more life-like feeling to the breasts compared to other implants. But before you choose an implant simply for its life-like feeling, you may want to know what comes with getting this gel-filled kind.

First, gel implants are entirely safe and effective. They wouldn’t be FDA approved if they weren’t. However, it is important to know that gel implants are not the forever kind. The FDA recently released a report saying that gel implants could have the need to be replaced, or even removed, within a ten year period under certain circumstances.

As the years progress, women with gel-filled implants, especially those who have suffered from breast cancer and have undergone breast reconstruction, could develop some problems. Most specifically, gel implants can rupture, but scarring, asymmetry and infection have been known to occur as well. A rupture especially will lead to surgery.

So how do you combat this potential problem if you still want gel implants? MRIs are one the best ways of detecting a problem with your implant. Going once every two years is a must if you have gel-filled implants.  If you haven’t detected any problems, but have had the implants in for a while, or close to ten years, your best option may be to simply replace them.

Like any type of surgery, there is always a risk, but by knowing the risks you’re already ahead.

Would you still consider gel-filled implants even though they eventually have to be replaced? To my readers that have them: Do you have an MRI every two years to detect problems?

To your health & beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo

A Mommy Makeover Isn't Just For Moms!

Many of the women who come to see me for breast and tummy surgery do so because they've given birth (maybe 3 years ago, maybe 30 years ago) but did you know that a Mommy Makeover isn't just for Moms? Any healthy woman who is dissatisfied with the appearance of her breasts and abdomen is a good candidate for this "combo" procedure.

What's a Mommy Makeover? 
A Mommy Makeover is usually two procedures: breast enhancement and body sculpting. Depending on her needs a woman might wish her breasts to be larger, so she would opt for a breast augmentation. If her breasts have begun to sag due to aging or breastfeeding, a breast lift might be all that's needed, or performed with an implant procedure, to return her breasts to a perky, natural level on the chest wall.

For some women, overly large breasts were a result of pregnancy and breastfeeding or, perhaps she has had very large breasts her entire life and has finally decided she wants to change things. Since a breast lift is part and parcel of a breast reduction, it reduces the breast size while lifting the breasts up. Our breast reduction patients are ecstatic with their smaller, lifted breast appearance.

Women who have had children or who have gone through cycles of weight loss and weight gain often have stretch marks. Although these ugly lines can be treated with laser skin resurfacing, a Mommy Makeover eliminates all or almost all stretch marks, as excess skin is removed during the tummy tuck procedure, and bye-bye stretch marks!  The belly muscles that may have separated over time or with pregnancy are sewn back in place, providing much better abdominal support as well as a more attractive tummy. Sometimes I'll add a little liposuction for women who need it--the fat can be used to fill places where you might need it, such as in facial wrinkles, the backs or hands or the lips.

So, whether your youngest child is a toddler or a grown-up, it's never too late to reclaim your younger shape! Call us for a complimentary consultation so we can discover, together, what can be done for you! We can even do it online, if you have little time to come into the office!

To your health and beauty,
Joe Danyo, MD
Board Certified Delaware Plastic Surgeon