The landscape of breast augmentation is not only changing with the trends, but also thanks to advancements in both implant technology and less invasive surgical techniques that have shortened downtime. According to New Beauty’s The State of Aesthetics Summer 2026 report, powered by the BeautyEngine Platform, real-time data from real beauty consumers reveal what influences their decision-making when seeking aesthetic treatments. According to one major statistic from the report, about 71 percent of implant patients have considered a breast revision. Ahead, we spoke with plastic surgeons to get their take on what influences patients most to go back under the knife.
Featured experts
- Olga Bachilo, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Houston
- Mark Jewell, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Eugene, OR
- David Alfonso, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Grand Rapids, MI
- Michael Edwards is a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Las Vegas
Implant age
According to the report, 29.4 percent of revision decisions were driven by implant age. Houston plastic surgeon Olga Bachilo, MD explains that breast revisions come in cycles as implants age and patients feel that it’s time for a change. She says the most likely reason for this surge in revisions may have to do with silicone breast implants being reapproved in 2011 after a 14-year ban. “These patients who had their implants previously done starting in 2011 and beyond are now at the 10 to 15 year mark and believe they need a replacement or are looking for a change.”
Eugene, OR plastic urgeon Mark Jewell, MD notes that it is safe for women in their 60s and 70s with aging implants to safely undergo revision surgery for newer generation implants if they’re in good health. He says that life with implants is often a better option for most women than removing them completely.
Changes in appearance over time
With life comes bodily change, whether age, weight or pregnancy-related—all of which can have an effect on the appearance of breasts. About 25.6 percent said their decision to undergo a revision was due to changes in appearance over time. “Changes in the breasts can cause sagginess (again, because of pregnancies or weight fluctuations) of the breasts and a woman may present requesting a lift (mastopexy),” explains Las Vegas plastic surgeon Michael Edwards, MD.
Additionally, patients can develop capsular contracture or malposition, which is another reason for needing a breast revision. The position of an implant can change over time, often requiring the capsule to be altered or tightened to raise the implant. Dr. Edwards says that correcting capsular contracture has become less common due to improved surgical techniques; however, correction typically involves removing some or all of the capsule and “moving the implant partially under the muscle if they were initially placed above (called a site change procedure).”
Other non-safety related concerns
Grand Rapids, MI plastic surgeon David Alfonso, MD believes that part of this revision trend, roughly 16 percent due to non-safety concerns, is attributed to women in their late 40s into their early 60s who are ready to leave their breast implants behind. “Most of my patients who seek implant revisions also tend to want to change them, based upon size preference with an equal distribution, wanting to go slightly larger as well as slightly smaller,” he says. Dr. Edwards adds that for many women, as time goes on and breast changes occur, some opt to have their implants removed. He says that many in this position may benefit from having a breast lift, with the addition of fat grafting to improve their explanted results.
Dr. Edwards adds that there is also a subset of revision patients who opt for a revision due to dissatisfaction with their initial implant size selection. He says this highlights the importance of properly guiding patients through their first surgery to ensure that appropriate implants are selected not only by volume but also by dimensions, such as base width.
