Length of Time Breast Implants Last?

You only need to change your implants if you have a problem.  You can go indefinitely with your breast implants.  Most patients will have a second surgery because they want to change the size, or change to silicone, or experience a complication (such as a rupture or capsular contracture). The deflation rate of a saline implant at ten years is about 10%. The deflation/rupture rate of a silicone implant at seven years is about 3-4%.

You can be fortunate and go 20 or 30 years with your implants. However if you are unlucky, you can experience a rupture within a year or two of surgery.  Implants have a warranty which helps cover some of the surgical costs should you experience an implant rupture.

Overall, you should expect to have more than one surgery in your lifetime if you have breast augmentation.

Please consult with a board certified plastic surgeon for more information.

Best wishes,

Dr. Bruno

If they are saline implants and there are no problems with them they should be fine.  If there is a problem, have it evaluated by a plastic surgeon.  If you have silicone implants that are 30 years old, you should probably have them replaced.

Breast implants generally have a warranty of 10 years, but many patients have found that they can last much longer without any complications. The concern, though, is that the longer you wait, the higher the rupture rate rises. If an implant ruptures, surgery to remove and/or exchange the implant becomes much more complicated.

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.

If there are no problems then there is no cause for concern. It is a good thing to have them checked up regularly though!

Breast Implants are a man made product, they eventually wear out and leak. Just like cars do not last forever, planes fall out of the sky, trains fall off tracks, global warming the wourld is falling apart etc, etc. How long they can last is controversial; most manufacturers and plastic surgery societies say they should be changed every 10 years. I am not convinced this has to be done, being in practice over 12 years I have seen many patients with them longer and have not had any problems. If they are around 8-10 years and you have problems like capsular contracture, leaking etc then the should be changed, but if you like the way they look and feel I do not think you have to change them.

         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 ten 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 one
percent at one year and three percent at three 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 implants for at least ten 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.

Congratulations on having no problems with your implants for this long! I know of several women who received implants and have never had to change them. This is great! However, I have a question: what type of implants do you have? Are they saline or silicone? 

Generally, if you don't have a problem with your implants and haven't noticed any pain or a change in appearance, then there is no need to replace them. But it is important to note that while changes tend to be more obvious with saline implants, silicone implants that rupture may not be as noticeable and remain undetected for a longer time.

You should visit your surgeon or doctor regularly so that they may also examine you to make sure your implants are in good condition.

 

 

This question is asked frequently by patients.  If you have implants regardless of age and they feel natural and have no associated problems such as pain or capsular contractures then I would leave them alone. If however you are experiencing pain or hardness or a study reveals some leakage then I would consider an implant exchange with removal of the capsule.

All implants have a life span of about 10-15 years. Over time, breast implants can do one of three things, 1. implants can get hard, 2. it can break down and may have some granulome reactions if they are silicone gels, or 3. they can remain natural.

In general, as implants age they tend to break down or get harder. The prudent rule is at 10 years one should get both an ultrasound or mammogram together or a breast MRI to rule out breast implant ruptures. If you have any symptoms such as asymmetry, or contracture hardness please see a plastic surgeon and discuss removal and replacement. This applies to both saline and silicone implants. Saline implants are somewhat different because if they are broken or rupture, you will know immediately.

The most important aspect is to be followed annually by your plastic surgeon.