Breast implant for lifetime or needs to be changed out still? Got Gummy bears with nano chip.

Question

My sister and I both got Gummy bear but mine has nano chip which I’m not sure what the nano chip is for . She got hers done in US and I got mine in Asia . Her doctor said to have it switched out every 20 years. My doctor says mine is lifetime /dont to be taken out. Just get and ultrasound/mri done after 10 years to see if there is any issues. Are breast implant lifetime or needs to be changed after a certain amount time ? Thank you for your feedback

Joubin Gabbay, MD · Answer

The simple answer is: you need to change them, when you need to change them! There is no specific time that you need to change your breast implants. If everything is going well, you are happy with the result of your augmentation and do not identify any issues, you can keep your breast implants and for as long as you like. However, if certain changes occur that are concerning for the implant, an implant removal or exchange should be considered. Such changes include capsular contracture, the desire for different size or shape implant, the potential for implant rupture, breast shape changes, etc. I have seen implants changed in as little as three months after an initial augmentation and as late as 30 years after an augmentation. Traditional teaching notes that implants are not lifelong devices. With this newer generation of breast implants, that mantra may be changed, however we will have to wait and see! Whatever you do, it is critical that you be seen by a surgeon who is certified by the American Board of plastic surgery and has significant experience with breast revision surgery. I wish you the best. Dr. Gabbay.

Gerald Minniti, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello,
Both your sister's and your doctor are wrong. There is no 20 year time limit, nor are they lifetime devices. MRI or high definition ultrasound should be used to assess the implants integrity at some regular interval. Implants can rupture as soon as a few years, or last decades. Best of luck.

Farbod Esmailian, MD · Answer

There is no particular time frame for changing out your implants.  They are changed if there is a break in the shell or some other issue.  The current recommendation by the FDA is that an MRI is performed within 3 years of the breast surgery and then every 2 years after. The plastic surgery society felt that that was too any MRIs and the false negative would be high resulting in removal of perfectly good implants.  Therefore the society feels that an MRI is warranted in 7-10 years.  If there is an issue with them on MRI then they are changed out.Hope that helps.

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your question.  The previous teaching was that every ten years implants needed to be exchanged for an increased risk of rupture.  With today's implants no replacement needs to be performed unless you have an issue with them.  Hope this helps.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dearlisatran32084,
breast implants don't have an exact date when they should be exchanged. If there are no issues with then, then there is no reason to remove them. If I'm not wrong, nano chips can be found in breast implants used in Asia (South Korea) and they are used to signalize when there is something wrong with the implant. At the moment there is no FDA approved breast implants with nano chips which are used in the USA:  
Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS 
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery  
Member, Am. Society of Plastic Surgery

Breast implant for lifetime or needs to be changed out still? Got Gummy bears with nano chip.

Answers (8)

Answer: Breast implant for lifetime or needs to be changed out still? Got Gummy bears with nano chip.

Answer: Breast implant for lifetime or needs to be changed out still? Got Gummy bears with nano chip.

Answer: Implant exchange

Answer: Implant exchange

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Everything you need to know about Breast Implants

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Breast implant for lifetime or needs to be changed out still? Got Gummy bears with nano chip.

Answers (8)

Answer: Breast implant for lifetime or needs to be changed out still? Got Gummy bears with nano chip.

Answer: Breast implant for lifetime or needs to be changed out still? Got Gummy bears with nano chip.

Answer: Implant exchange

Answer: Implant exchange

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Implants

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.