Breast Implants Q&A: Mr Oliver Harley

July 27, 2026/Cosmetic

Considering breast augmentation? In this Breast Implant Q&A video, Mr Oliver Harley, Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, answers some of the most frequently asked questions about breast implants.

Learn how implant size and profile are chosen, the differences between implant shapes, whether implants need replacing after 10 years, and what to avoid during recovery.

Covered in this video:

What are the different types of breast implant profiles?
How do you choose breast implant size and profile?
Do breast implants need replacing every 10 years?
What should I avoid after breast surgery?

I'm Oliver Harley. I'm a Consultant Plastic Surgeon here at The McIndoe Centre. So here we have three implants. They are all approximately the same size in terms of quantity and volume, but they are different shapes. Okay, so this one here is a round implant. Okay, so it is round in this direction. It is round in that direction. And it is a lower profile than this one. So this one is round in that direction. It sits more proud and it is narrower in that dimension. So this is a higher profile implant and would be expected to give around a more prominent shape to the breast overall. And then this implant is teardrop shaped. Okay, so the idea of that is to give a more natural downslope to the breast. Well, a lot of this is down to your own personal preferences and we will take plenty of time in the outpatient clinic trying sizes, measuring obviously your natural breast tissue to come up with a range of implant sizes and shapes that you think would suit best. And I'll often ask people to go home and try and practice with different sizes using rice at home. And I think this is a very helpful way of getting used to the idea of, you know, the breast enlargement and what sorts of sizes and shapes will work well with your different types of clothes that you like to wear. These breast implants are very strong and durable, and they're designed to last indefinitely. So it is not true that the implants have to be replaced every ten years. It is certainly true that the breast and the body may change around the implant and that a proportion of implants may leak or change shape in some way with the passing of time, but also, in many cases, the majority of patients will be entirely happy even at ten years and there'll be no clear need to change or remove an implant at ten years. You do need to be a bit careful in the immediate weeks after breast surgery. You should wear a surgical bra day and night for about six weeks, and you should avoid strenuous, repetitive activities, which will or may disturb the breast too much in those early weeks. The consequences from doing too much too soon could be getting blood or fluid collecting around the implant or displacing the implant and that may affect the final outcome and cause problems and delay in healing and settling.

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Q1. What are the different types of breast implant profiles?

A. Here we have three implants. They are all approximately the same size in terms of quantity and volume, but they are different shapes. This one here is a round implant. It is round in this direction. It is round in that direction. And it is a lower profile than this one. So this one is round in that direction. It sits more proud and it is narrower in that dimension. This is a higher profile implant and would be expected to give around a more prominent shape to the breast overall. And then this implant is teardrop shaped so the idea of that is to give a more natural downslope to the breast.

Q2. How do you choose breast implant size and profile?

A. A lot of this is down to your own personal preferences, and we will take plenty of time in the outpatient clinic trying sizes, measuring obviously your natural breast tissue to come up with a range of implant sizes and shapes that you think would suit best. And I'll often ask people to go home and try to practice with different sizes using rice at home. I think this is a very helpful way of getting used to the idea of the breast enlargement and what sorts of sizes and shapes will work well with your different types of clothes that you like to wear.

Q3. Do breast implants need replacing every 10 years?

A. Breast implants are very strong and durable, and they're designed to last indefinitely, so it is not true that the implants have to be replaced every ten years. It is certainly true that the breast and the body may change around the implant and that a proportion of implants may leak or change shape in some way with the passing of time, but also, in many cases, the majority of patients will be entirely happy even at ten years and there'll be no clear need to change or remove an implant at ten years.

Q4. What should I avoid after breast surgery?

A. You do need to be a bit careful in the immediate weeks after breast surgery. You should wear a surgical bra day and night for about six weeks, and you should avoid strenuous, repetitive activities, which will or may disturb the breast too much in those early weeks. The consequences of doing too much too soon could be getting blood or fluid collecting around the implant or displacing the implant and that may affect the final outcome and cause problems and delay in healing and settling.

Mr Oliver Harley

Oliver Harley is a fully qualified, GMC-registered specialist Plastic Surgeon. He is also a member of The British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), The UK Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (UKAAPS-CAPSCO) and The British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH). Mr Harley specialises both in cosmetic surgery and hand surgery.

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