How Often Do You Have to Get Your Breasts "Refreshed"?

This is a commonly asked question and a frequent source of
confusion amongst patients.There is a
general misconception that breast implants should be replaced every 10
years.The origin of this belief is
unclear, but is probably secondary to misinterpretation of implant warranty
terminology. The
manufacturers of breast implants clearly state that these devices are not
intended to last a lifetime.Despite
this, many patients can expect to have implants last their entire
lifetime.Current studies suggest that
implants deflate at a rate of 1% at 1 year and 3% at 3 years.Over time, this number can be expected to
grow.Implants
may deflate with no apparent cause or may deflate secondary to some type of
trauma.Under these circumstances, the
decision to replace implants is easy.In
our practice, we routinely replace implants in patients who are undergoing
secondary surgery for reasons not directly related to the implants, such as
capsular contracture, if the patient has had breast implants for at least 10
years.If a patient is doing well and
not having problems with breast implants, we see no reason to routinely replace
implants just because a set time period has passed.

There is no finite period of time for the implants to be replaced.  Just keep in mind that despite having implants, all breasts will normally sag with time, thus requiring corrective surgery.