Do Silicone Breast Implants Have a Certain Life at Which Time They Should Be Changed out for New Ones?

I have had mine in for 25 years and am not experiencing any problems. Are new silicone implants better? Do they get old and need periodic replacing? I would rather avoid any unnecessary sugery.

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5 Doctor Answers | Asked by question in CA

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No need to exchange your implants

You do NOT need to exchange your implants if you are not having any problems with them and they are not leaking. In my opinion, removing intact implants that are not causing any problems is unnecessary surgery. You should get mammograms as recommended by your physician, and if you ever have any questions about your implants, you should be seen by a board certified plastic surgeon. But your implants do not have an expiration date so there's no reason to exchange them, unless... more

Older silicone implants

Implants do not have a specific “expiration date”, and at some point they will need to be replaced. The current FDA approved silicone implants are made with a newer sophisticated cohesive gel. You may want visit with a plastic surgeon to review your options and to determine if you would benefit from an additional surgery.

George John Alexander, MD

3 reviews

Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implant time spand...

Silicone implants are becoming more and more common because of their natural feel and durability. The answer to your question may depend on who you ask, but I don't feel that implants that are functioning well with no complications need to be removed just because they are old. The body grows a tough connective tissue capsule around the implant and as long as the capsule is soft, it can last forever. With certain types of trauma, the newer implants have a lower chance of... more

Silicone Implant LIfespan

Hello, My main goal is to avoid any unnecessary surgery for my patients too! Todays cohesive gel implants have a longer lifespan than saline implants, and the risk of rupture at ten years is about half that of saline implants. We are awaiting more long term data to compare to saline, but suspect that there performance edge remains even at greater time intervals of 15 or 20 years. Therefore, silicone gel is the more durable implant in addition to being softer and smoother feeling... more

Shelf life of silicone breast implants

This is a difficult question to answer and I am sure you will get lots of opinions. I do think that the silicone gel implants being used today are better than the ones that were being used 25 years ago. That being said, I am of the persuasion that if it isn't broke, don't fix it. I do not think that there is a definite shelf life or expiration date for breast implants and yet they are not intended to be lifetime devices either. I advise my patients to replace the implants if they are having... more