I want to get boob implants. Is it true I have to change them every 10 years?

The idea that breast implants need to be changed every ten years comes from the FDA reapproval study which provided the data that of all patients undergoing breast augmentation surgery in this study, 25% of women had a second surgery in the first ten years.  This includes all surgeeries such as those for malposition, change of size etc and is inappropriately extrapolated into "breast augmentation patients neeed revisional surgery with change of implants every ten years."  This simply is not true.The need for revision depends heavily on patient expectations and the physical findings of the patient and the status of the implant.  There are many different types of implants used and different types of placement surgery and planes of placement.In my opinion, need for revision surgery in the first ten years is very likely if saline implants are used, if the "dual-plane" or submuscular technique is used and if the inferior pole of the breast is overdissected.When planning breast augmentation surgery, I strive to give patients the best chances of lifelong satisfaction.  To achieve this I exclusively use highly cohesive form stable "gummy bear" and anatomically shaped silicone implants.  These implants are the most expensive available but carry several important advantages:1.) unlike the more commonly used cohesive gel silicone implants (not form stable), form stable implants do not flow if there is a defect in the shell, they rather retain their shape and generally show minimal change.  Non-form stable implants can leak their silicone contents into the surrounding tissue and cause local tissue distruction that is difficult to correct.  I have seen this happen and no longer use these implants in my practice for this reason2.) Anatomic shapes place less unnatural forces on the surrounding tissue and result in less tissue stretch and atrophy The second very important thing I do to give breast augmentations the best shot at longevity is the placement technique.  I use a technique that I call Cold-Subfascial Breast Augmentation R.  This means that I do not involve the muscle, I rather create a supporting internal bra of strong native tissue called fascia that holds and shapes the implant in a natural and supported form.  By voiding the downward and outward forces of the dual-plane or submuscular techniques I protect the tissues from these foreign forces and by covering the entire implant with strong support, I further blunt the force of the implant against the delicate breast tissue and skin.To recap the short answer to your question is that implants do not need to be removed unless there is a problem and secondly with form stable anatomic implants placed with structural support there should be long term satisfaction and no obvious need for revision.  I hope this helps!All the best,Rian A. Maercks M.D.

There is no specific timeline as to when breast implants
need to be replaced.Each patient and
their body is unique and many factors contribute to why a patient may need to
have their implants replaced at a certain point in time.Childbirth, implant rupture, capsular
contracture, and bottoming out can all contribute to why someone may choose to
have them re-done.I typically tell
patents that silicone implants tend to last 10-12 years, however, each patient
is unique.The effect of gravity is not
something we can change!

The latest statistics show that the average duration or lifespan of breast implants is about 20 years.  However, leakage can occur for various reasons much earlier or even later.  I have seen patients whose implants leaked in 5 years and also those whose implants were in good condition 30 years later.  Twenty years seems to be the average.  There certainly is no need to change your implants every 10 years, unless some other problem developed that you wanted to improve.  But remember that a breast implant is a manufactured device, essentially a silicone rubber balloon filled with either sterile saline water or silicone gel.  Over time, the outer sac will deteriorate and at some future time a leak will occur.  However, the FDA has not found any objective evidence that a leak poses any health risk.

    It is not necessary to exchange the implants unless there is a problem.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

This is definitely one of the most common myths in plastic surgery.  I'm not sure how it started, but hopefully it wasn't because of someone trying to make more money.  The fact is that most implants will last longer than 10 years, and unless there is some particular issue with your implants, they do not need to be changed.  Keep in mind that implants are 'things', and are subject to wear and tear and could eventually break down, but the timeline is usually much longer.  For saline implants, I have not had a rupture for 15 years.  For silicone cohesive gel implants, it appears that we are approaching 15-20 years based on the European experience.  You will never have to change saline implants unless they break, at which point you would know within a day or two because your breast would deflate.  My guess is that at some point a finite lifespan will be determined for the silicone cohesive gels, and we'll replace them based on the research available or the manufacturer's suggestion, before there are any ruptures or problems, but I would think this will be 20 plus years at a minimum.

Thank you for your question.  This is a very common question and misconception.  Implants do not have an expiration date when they need to be replaced.  In truth, you do not need to have implants replaced unless you are having a specific problem with the implants.  This could be a number of things from a rupture, scar tissue making the implant feel firm, scar tissue shifting the implant, sagging of the breast tissue, etc.  If you are happy with your implants and are not having any problems with them, then you don't need to replace them.

There's no hard truth to this question.  If the implant and breast are happy then there is no reason to replace the implant.  If for some reason the implant has a rupture then it's time for an update. If there has been an unsightly change in the breast shape, size, or position, then it's time for a refreshment. The gummy bear implants have a lifetime warranty. 

Implants are medical devices that are not replace on a timeline. They are replaced if it all when their issues. Issues can be the following: dissatisfaction with the size, capsular contracture, pain and implant rupture.Earl Stephenson Jr, MD, DDS, FACS

You do not need to change breast implants every ten years.  Most implants today will last you much longer than that.  Good luck with your surgery.

This is a common question and many patients think that implants need to be exchanged after ten years. This is not necessarily true. I used to tell all of my patients that you should only change your implants if you are having a problem with them. This could mean in 1 year or it could mean in 50 years. And I still think that changing an implant just because it has been in place for 10 years is not necessary or advised. However, I will say that exchanging an intact silicone gel implant is a much easier surgery than removing a ruptured gel implant especially if there is extracapsular gel bleed or associated capsular contracture. So I can understand why some people might want to just exchange the implants before they have a problem with them. But knowing how well the implants are constructed today, I think that most implants are going to last more than 10 years before a problem arises. In the end, it will be a decision that you will have to make.