Thirteen-Year Trends in Aesthetic Breast Implant Surgery

Overview

This prospective observational cohort study evaluated temporal trends in primary aesthetic breast augmentation, breast implant replacement, and definitive breast implant removal at IQ Interquirofanos in Medellín, Colombia. Clinical and surgical information was prospectively collected at the time of surgery in an institutional registry from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2024. The cohort included 22,642 unique adult participants, each of whom contributed one eligible surgical event and was classified into one of three mutually exclusive groups: primary implant placement, implant replacement, or implant removal. The primary outcome was the annual and overall distribution of these procedure categories. Secondary outcomes included breast implant volume, duration of prior implant use, indications for replacement and removal, and the relationships between participant age, implant volume, and implant duration. Surgical procedures were selected as part of routine clinical care and were not assigned by the investigators for research purposes.

An institutional prospective observational registry was established at IQ Interquirofanos to collect standardized clinical and surgical information and evaluate temporal trends in aesthetic breast surgery. Data included in this analysis were prospectively recorded at the time of surgery between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2024. The analytical cohort consisted of 22,642 unique adult participants. No participant contributed more than one surgical event. Each participant was assigned to one of three mutually exclusive procedural groups: primary aesthetic breast implant placement, breast implant replacement, or definitive breast implant removal without replacement. Data collected included age, sex, calendar year of surgery, procedure category, right- and left-sided breast implant volumes, duration of prior implant use, and the primary recorded indication for implant replacement or removal. For replacement procedures, both prior and newly placed implant volumes were evaluated. For removal procedures, prior implant volumes were recorded. When implant duration coexisted with another clinical or aesthetic indication for secondary surgery, the specific clinical or aesthetic indication was prioritized. "Time with implants" was recorded as the primary indication only when another specific indication was not present. The primary outcome was the annual number and proportion of primary implant placements, implant replacements, and implant removals. Secondary outcomes included implant volumes by calendar year and procedural group, duration of prior implant use, indications for replacement and removal, and associations between age, implant volume, and implant duration. Continuous variables were summarized using means and standard deviations. Categorical variables were reported using absolute frequencies and percentages. Differences in implant volume across calendar years were evaluated using Welch's one-way analysis of variance. Pearson correlation coefficients, 95% confidence intervals, and p-values were used to evaluate associations between age and new implant volume and between age and implant duration. Participants without documented postoperative follow-up or with missing core variables were excluded. Postoperative complications and reinterventions occurring outside IQ Interquirofanos were not evaluated as study outcomes and could not be comprehensively ascertained from the institutional registry.