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On "SurgeryTok" we're used to seeing countdowns to nose jobs and the aftermath of Brazilian butt lifts, but one plastic surgeon has shown something more unusual: breast implants left in for more than 40 years.
Dr. Richard Brown, also known as @therealtiktokdoc, documented the condition of a pair of 1970s silicone implants he removed from a patient—and they look far from pleasant.
"These are a pair of implants I removed yesterday that were placed in 1974, when I was four years old," he said in the video, which is captioned "46 [year old] implants."
The "silicone implants with first-generation silicone inside" appeared gooey and shapeless on a silver tray. Surgeons are now using fifth-generation silicone, according to an on-screen caption.
"I don't know why this one is discolored," Brown said, pointing out that one implant was far more yellow than the other. "You can see here the outer shell did peel away," he added, as he easily peeled off the outer layer.
"They are not ruptured but, when I touch it, this is called silicone bleed where it just bleeds through the shell over time," said Brown. The video showed the implant sticking to his hand as he touched it.
The implant proved impossible to break apart too: "When I picked this up to try to tear it apart, it still didn't tear when I pulled on it pretty forcefully."
@therealtiktokdoc I was 4 yo when these were placed. #learnontiktok #tiktokpartner #implants #old #silicone
♬ FEEL THE GROOVE - Queens Road, Fabian Graetz
Implants don't have a use-by date, but generally last between 10 and 20 years. They should not be considered "lifetime devices," according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
The ASPS website states: "On average, today's implants are designed to last more than a decade, with the chance of rupture increasing by 1 percent each year. So, the older your implants are the greater your risk of rupture or other complications.
"In many cases, breast implants can remain in good shape for 20 years or more. Every patient is different, and the life of your implants will depend on your body and how you take care of your implants."
Implants have advanced hugely since the 1970s. As Brown explains in the TikTok video, the patient's implants were made by Dow Corning. The company's products accounted for an estimated 88% of implants sold in the early 1970s, according to a 2000 report by the National Academy of Medicine.
The first-generation Dow Corning implants, as seen in the video, had thick shells and gels. The NAM report states: "Rupture rates were low because of the tough shell, but complications from capsular contracture were common and gel-fluid seepage was probably considerable."
Later in the 1970s, thinner shells became more common, but these had a greater tendency to rupture and deflate.
According to the website of California plastic surgeon Dr. Suzanne Quardt, modern implants have returned to thicker shells. "Silicone gel implants that were manufactured back in the 1970s and 1980s are far less reliable regarding quality than the more highly cohesive silicone gel breast implants that are being manufactured in today's times," the website states.
"They have made the silicone shell on the outside of the implants thicker, and the gels inside much more cohesive through cross-linking of the silicone polymers, and therefore the newer gels won't 'run out' into your breast pockets (even if ruptured) the way old gels will."
For long-time implant owners, it may be worth having them checked out, even if it hasn't quite been 46 years.
Newsweek has contacted Dr. Richard Brown for comment.
