Breast Implant Commitment Awareness Campaign By Cosmetic Surgery Clinic

Many women are sold breast enlargement surgery believing their implants will last forever

Aurora Clinics recently had the privilege of gaining behind-the-scenes access to a closed Facebook community for PIP implants patients.

Content Editor Sarah Brechon was invited perfectly legitimately to provide advice and support to the group’s 80+ members: all present or potential patients of Aurora Clinics (Aurora never used PIP implants but are helping provide removal and replacement surgery to hundreds of women).

Whilst there, she made the startling discovery that many of these women had originally undergone breast enlargement surgery (at cosmetic surgery clinics and centres across theUK and Europe) believing that their implants would last ‘forever’.

Aurora Clinics have always tried to be honest and open with their patients. As part of this, Aurora consultations typically involve making patients aware of the lifetime commitment involved with breast implant surgery:

• The typical ‘life expectancy’ of even a high quality breast implant is approximately 10-15 years
• Some ladies do still have their breast implants after 20 years or longer, but this is uncommon
• Breasts change greatly over this period of time due to factors like diet, exercise and ageing so many women opt to have their implants removed or replaced for aesthetic purposes after this, even if they are still in good condition

The implications of this are obvious: like many other beauty regimes, breast enlargement surgery with implants is a long-term commitment involving regular maintenance.

Yet if the ladies on the closed Facebook group are representative, it isn’t obvious to many Breast Surgery patients because numerous cosmetic surgery groups and surgeons are not making the fact clear enough during the initial consultations or in the accompanying information resource material.

“It has really struck me” writes one group member “that I will most likely be having surgery in 5 -10 years time and thereafter for life. Yes the implant itself will be covered possibly but the cost of surgery I assume won't. I guess I did not really think through the long term committment and secretly hoped they would last forever!!”

Another agrees: “Maybe if I knew what I did now I would never have done this”.

The PIP implants ladies are an extreme case: this is a brand of implants proven to be sub-standard, with a higher than usual rupture rate. Mr. Adrian Richards of Aurora Clinics has reported 25% severely ruptured implants amongst the PIPs he has recently removed and a further 75% with gel bleed. Many of these implants are causing problems way before the estimated 10-15 year implant ‘life expectancy’.

But in a few cases, the PIP implants have actually made it to 9 or 10 years. These women may quite possibly have been facing implant removal and replacement anyway, whether they had PIP implants or not.

There are admittedly a number of instances amongst the Facebook group of women whose original provider, like Aurora, did have a policy of raising awareness about the typical life expectancy of breast implants. In worryingly more cases, however, this truth was distorted or brushed under the carpet.

Aurora feel that honesty is always the best policy. Breast enlargement surgery can be very rewarding with a highly qualified surgeon but a decision to have breast surgery is a big one anyway: women have a right to make a fully informed choice. Information about the warranties provided with each brand of implant can be found on the manufacturer’s websites. Aurora Clinics provide free yearly breast implant checks and follow-up consultations for all their breast enlargement surgery patients. As such, all Aurora patients know that they will always remain under the care of Aurora and be carefully monitored to know when it is time to have their implants removed or replaced.

Aurora Clinics are an expert group of Plastic Surgeons, medical aestheticians and anaesthetists specialising in a broad range of cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures (surgical and non-surgical). The Aurora emphasis is on honesty and openness, with information made publicly available via videos, podcasts, photo galleries, a highly comprehensive website and our past-patient network. We are always keen to work with the public and the Press to broaden awareness about cosmetic surgery, helping prospective patients make a fully informed choice. Visit www.aurora-clinics.co.uk for more information.

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