Will I Need To Replace My Buttock Implants?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Will I eventually need to replace buttock implants down the road as I get older?  Meaning am I going to need new ones like breast implants or can I keep these forever?  I wouldn’t want to go larger down the road and I just wanna make sure that they’re OK if I keep them?  I don’t want to have another surgery?

A: Buttock implants are different than breast implants in material composition. Buttocks implants are made of a solid material which can never degrade ot break down. Thus they will last a lifetime based on their material stability.. Conversely breast implants are essentially a bag filled will ‘jello’. (two part composition) TAs a result they will have a limited lifespan as the integrity of the containment bag (shell) will eventually fail and the implant will need to be replaced.

Therefore while there are breast implant patients whose implants do last a lifetime they are the exception unlike buttock implant patients whose implants do remain structurally stable for a lifetime.

The issue of buttock implant stability can be confusing as in non-US countries buttock implants are exactly like breast implants and thus failure does occur. The U.S. is one of the few countries where the buttock implants are solid and not gel-filled shells.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon