Background: The demand for breast implants has not waned in women over the past several decades. This is a testament to the success of the procedure in accomplishing its single goal…effective breast enlargement. The devices used to accomplish this body contouring goal have been modified and improved over the years, and are not without their own non-lifetime issues, but the demand for their use had remained unwavered.
The placement of breast implants is not age dependent. While the demand for breast implants has been historically lower in ‘older’ women that is a trend that is changing. More women over the age of 55 are seeking breast enhancement than ever before. While over 55 age women will never rival in numbers those woman under age 30 for the procedure, it is now being seen publicly as just as safe and equally effective.
The one challenge that older women present with for breast augmentation is that they often have increased degrees of breast sagging and may have poorer tissue quality. The thickness of any residual breast tissue is often less and the skin may be thinner. But as long as the amount of breast sagging is not severe, breast implants may actually have a mild lifting effect if the implant volume is large enough.
Case Study: This 57 year-old female wanted breast implants to enlarge her small and shrunken breast mounds. She had just gotten a divorce and was actively dating and felt this would have a positive effect on her self-esteem. She had been a smoker all of her life at one pack per day and had no intention or desire to quit.
Under general anesthesia, she had silicone gel breast implants placed in a dual plane position through an inframammary approach. She wanted large implants and opted for 550ccs based on using preoperative volumetric sizers. Her inframammary fold levels were dropped down to accomodate the implant volume and avoid too high of an implant positioning. This also helped overcome the small amount of breast sagging that she had.
Her result demonstrates that breast augmentation has a rejuvenative effect on an older women’s chest and more than effectively corrects age-related tissue deflation. While smoking is not ideal or preferred for optimal healing of any elective surgery, an implant that is placed under well-vascularized tissue, such as muscle, can heal well in spite of a decrease in tissue perfusion levels.
Case Highlights:
1) Breast augmentation is done commonly done in older women today with just as much success as in younger women.
2) Breast augmentation in older women has a rejuvenating effect on the chest making one’s body look younger.
3) While smoking is not ideal for any surgery, it does not impede healing in submuscular placement of breast implants.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana