Replace Breast Implants Every 10 Years?

Should Breast implants be replaced every 10 years? If not, how often? Is this covered by insurance?

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16 Doctor Answers | Asked by HtownShelley in Richmond, TX

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No Need to Replace Breast Implants at 10 Years if There is No Problem

Thank you for your question. There is a lot of confusion on this topic. If you are happy with your Breast Implants at 10 years and there are no problems with them, most Plastic Surgeons would not recommend removal. Problems which can occur and may require removal include: Rupture of Breast Implant Capsular Contracture or hardening Asymmetry Ptosis or sag No longer want Implants Be sure to follow up with your surgeon. Generally Medical Insurance... more

Breast Implants: Do They Have an Expiration Date?

Many patients are confused as there is lots of misleading information out there... The truth is, there is no exact "shelf life" or expiration date when it comes to breast implants. It is a common misconception that implants need to be replaced every ten years. I've seen patients whose implants have lasted 20+ years trouble-free, but have also seen patients who have experienced implant leakage after only a few years. If you are not having any problems with your implants, there... more

No need to replace implants every ten years.

Implants are not permanent devices. Most things that we place in the body at some point need to be replaced. Having said that, there is not an automatic trigger. If the breasts are soft and in good shape, and the implants are intact, most would leave them alone. Silicone leaks are hard to appreciante clinically, and so an MRI is used for detection.

No expiration date on breast implants

Hi, Thank you for your question! There is no expiration date on implants so it is hard to say when or if they will ever need to be replaced. As long as you have no signs of deflation, capsular contracture, or any other problematic issues with your breasts, they may never need to be replaced. It is important, especially if you have silicone implants, to get a regular mammogram or MRI to make sure everything is ok. Other than that, if you are not experiencing any problems with the implant,... more

Implants do not have to be replaced every ten years.

The good news is - implants do not have to be replaced every ten years. We expect implants to last longer than that although of course the exact life of each set of implants cannot be guaranteed. however the implant companies believe so strongly in their products that if the implants do break the companies will replace the implants. Depending on the company and the type of warranty that might have been purchased at the time of the original surgery there may also be some compensation... more

Replace breast implants when they break

Most saline and probably also silicone implants will last 10 to 20 years. l see no point in replacing them unless they're broken. You'll know when they break, and go to your doctor then. If only one breaks at 10 to 20 years, it may be best to replace both.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

I don't know where this rumor got started but many paitents iqnuire about this. My general feeling is the old saying: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!". The question is: how do you know if it's broke? That is a more difficult quesiton to answer. Salines usually deflate and anyone can make the diagnosis. Current silicone implants tend to maintain their volume and shape making it extremely difficult to detect. This has prompted the FDA to make the 3 year and 2 year thereafter MRI... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

33 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Replace only if necessary

Breast implants - saline or silicone - do NOT need replacement every ten years. The shells of either do break and they are not lifetime devices. Therefore, at some point, you should expect to have to replace leaking implants. The ten year timeline comes up because that is about the average lifespan for a typical implant. However, that is not to say some don't last significantly longer - I have seen saline last up to 26yrs and silicone about 30yrs. I have also seen much less time than 10yrs... more

Implant replacement as needed

You do not need to automatically replace breast implants after a certain time limit. Saline implants get replaced when they leak. SIlicone implants also get replaced when a leak is detected but not all intracapsular leaks necessarily get replaced as an emergency surgery. SIlent intracapsular leaks might be followed carefully without surgery although there is a risk of extracapsular migration. The idea of implant replacemetn after ten years is a result of the statistic of increased rsik... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD

4 reviews

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

It is NOT true that breast implants need to be replaced every 10 years.

Hi! This is a very common idea, but it is not true. If your breast implants look fine and feel fine, leave them alone. In New York City, we tell breast aumentation patients who have SILICONE implants to have an MRI of the breasts every 2 or 3 years, because a silicone implant could be leaking and you would not know it . The silicone gel stays in place whether the implant shell is intact or not.