Do breast implants need to be replaced every 10 years?

It is not absolutely necessary to replace breast implants after 10 years. If you are happy with the size and position, you may very well keep them in and get many more years of life out of them. Breast Implants don't expire, but eventually the surrounding shell will break. Women who have sagging, asymmetry, positioning problems, pain or hard capsules surrounding the implants may wish to replace the implants sooner. I tell my patients the old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". 

Implants should be replaced when there is a problem.  Deflation, capsular contracture, implant malposition, and problems with size are all legitimate reasons to replace the implants.  

Thank you for your question. It's important to know that implants do not require replacement simply because you've had them for a certain amount of time. Implants can last indefinitely, but most women should plan to have some type of surgery every 10 to 15 years. This may include a size change, changing from saline to silicone, or replacement after rupture. Saline implants have a 10% risk of rupture over 10 years. The latest silicone-gel implants have a 2.5% rupture risk over nine years. If things are going well, and there is no implant rupture, then I recommend not having any surgery at all.

As a mater of fact it is a common misconception that implants will only last 10 years. Most of the plastic surgeons will not be eager to change breast implants unless you have some certain problems such as capsular contracture, significant fluid accumulation etc. Most of the implants, regardless of the shape are filled by cohesive silicone which has the advantage that not migrating even if the the implant is broken. The implant manufacturers do not consider implants as 'lifetime devices' as the possibility exists that over time the outer shell will fail. But over 90 percent of implants outer shell are not failing based on the recent statistics.So implants only need to be removed if they are broken or if there is an infection.There are two cases when the implants are need to be replaced - implant capsular rupture or implant migration due to ageing and gravity).Thus they can be changed when you have some problems appeared with the time, like rupture, or migration, or size, or bottoming out, Not all the patients will need to have more than one surgery, just those who need smth to be improved.Hope this helps.

Implants do not have to be replaced every 10 years contrary to what any people believe. Implants only need to be replaced when there is a problem with them. Insurance will cover the cost of your surgery if there is a complication related to it however insurance will probably not cover the cost of a new implant. You should make sure what is covered with your insurance provider.