This Is How Often Your Breast Implants Actually Need to Be Screened

After a breast augmentation with implants, you may assume you’re set for a decade or so. However, FDA recommendations urge patients to get their implants screened much more regularly than that. A recent study found that the majority of breast implant patients aren’t compliant with these screening recommendations.

Patients are not getting their breast implants screened often enough

The study found that many breast cancer patients who received silicone implants were not compliant with the FDA recommendations. These screenings ensure the implants have not silently ruptured. The research shows that only 5.9 percent of respondents had undergone MRI screening in accordance with the recommendations. A majority of the patients said they weren’t aware of the recommendations.

The FDA updated guidelines in 2020

The FDA is continually updating these recommendations based on the most recent data. The agency updated the recommendations since the study was completed. In 2020, the FDA altered the surveillance recommendations to include ultrasound as an alternative to MRIs. In accordance with the recommendations, screenings should be done beginning five to six years after silicone implant placement and every two to three years thereafter.

“They have become a bit more flexible with regards to the use of diagnostic ultrasound (DUS) instead of an expensive MRI,” says Eugene, OR plastic surgeon Mark Jewell, MD. “I personally think that DUS is a good idea. It can help verify implant integrity, orientation (flip over), periprosthetic fluid, capsular calcification, and in the case of older implants, gel bleed and extracapsular gel.” While most people don’t experience complications, identifying a rupture is important.

There are barriers to getting breast implant screened

“The reality is most patients don’t want to do [screenings] if they’re not having problems,” says La Jolla, CA plastic surgeon Robert Singer, MD. However, he tells patients, “these are reasonable recommendations based on the information we have at this point.” Dr. Singer notes that current implants are different from older generation implants. However, it remains to be seen how they perform throughout the years. “How long will they last? Will they have fewer problems? Most likely, but only time will tell.” Until that’s clear, patients should keep up with screenings.

Patients are hesitant to head to the doctor’s office when there’s no obvious cause for concern. However, there are also bigger barriers at play. In the press release, Libby Copeland-Halperin, MD, speculates that lack of access to care and costly screenings may be part of the reason patients aren’t adhering to the guidelines.

It's Personal

At NewBeauty, we get the most trusted information from the beauty authority delivered right to your inbox

Find a Doctor

Find a NewBeauty "Top Beauty Doctor" Near you

Select a state State AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC FL GA HI IA IL IN KY LA MA MD MI MN MO NC NE NJ NV NY OH OR PA SC TN TX UT VA WA WI Select a state Specialty Cosmetic Dentist Dermatologist Facial Plastic Surgeon Hair Restoration Specialist Oculoplastic Surgeon Periodontist Plastic Surgeon Prosthodontist Vein Specialist Select a state Treatment Abdominal thread lifts Accent your Body Acne Treatments Alexandrite Laser Arm Lift Asclera Bellafill Belotero Blue Light Body Body Lift Botox Botox Browlift Brachioplasty Brazilian Butt Lift Breast Augmentation Breast Augmentation with Fat Grafting Breast Implants Breast Implants with Saline Breast Implants with Silicone Breast Lift Breast Lift with Implants Breast Reconstruction Breast Reduction Browlift Butt Enhancement Carboxytherapy Cellulite Treatment Cheek Augmentation Cheek Augmentation with Fat Grafting Cheek Implants Cheek Lift Chemical Peels Chin Augmentation CO2 lasers Cool Lipo CoolSculpting CoolTone Crowns Dental Bonding Dental Implants Dimpleplasty Diode Laser Dysport embrace Active Scar Defense Emsculpt Endermologie Endoscopic Browlift Endoscopic Facelift Endoscopic Tummy Tuck Erbium Lasers Exilis Ultra 360 Eyelift Eyelift with Fat Grafting Face Facelift Facelift with Fat Grafting FaceTite Fat Melters and Fat Reducers Fat Transfer Forma Fractional CO2 lasers Fractional Resurfacing Lasers Fractora Glycolic Peels Glytone Enhanced Brightening Cream Gum Dermabrasion Gum Lift Hair Hair Removal Hair Transplant Hair-Loss Treatment Injectables & Fillers for Cheek Augmentation Injectables & Fillers for Eyelift Injectables & Fillers for Lip Enhancement Injectables And Fillers Injectables and Fillers with Fat Grafting Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Invisalign Isolaz Juvéderm Juvéderm Volbella Juvéderm Voluma Kybella Lactic Acid Peels Laser Liposuction Lasers Lateral Tension Tummy Tuck Limited Incision Facelift Lip Enhancement Lip Enhancement with Fat Grafting Lip Implant Lip Lift Liposculpture Liposuction Liquid Facelift Long Pulsed N: Yag laser Lower Blepharoplasty Lower Body Lift Lower eyelid surgery Lower Facelift MACS Lift Mandelic Peels Microdermabrasion Microinjection Microneedling Microwave Laser Treatment Mini Tummy Tuck Mini-Facelift Mommy Makeover Nd: Yag Neck Liposuction Necklift Nonsurgical Facelift Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty Obagi Blue Peel Otoplasty Perlane Phenol Peels Photobiomodulation Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) Photofacial PiQo4 Plasma Resurfacing Lasers Power Assisted Liposuction Prevelle Pulsed Dye Radiesse Radio Frequency with Microneedling Radio Frequency-Assisted Lipolysis Red Light Restylane Restylane Defyne Restylane Lyft Restylane Refyne Restylane Silk Revision Rhinoplasty Rhinoplasty Salicylic Peels SculpSure Sculptra Aesthetic Selphyl Silhouette Instalift Skin Skin Tighteners Skin Treatments Slim Lipo Smart Lipo SMAS facelift Smile Smile Makeover Smoothshapes Straightening Stretch Mark Treatments TCA Chemical Peels Teeth Whitening Thermage ThermiTight Thigh Lift Titan Tooth Contouring Traditional Facelift Tumescent Liposuction Tummy Tuck Ulthera Ultherapy Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction Umbilicoplasty Upper Blepharoplasty Upper eyelid surgery Vanquish ME VASER Lipo Vein Treatments Velashape Velasmooth Veneers Xeomin Search