Do breast implants expire? I was told that they last for 10 years, then you need to have them replaced.

No. Your breast implants don’t have an expiration date. Unlike your car, there is no maintenance required. You don’t have to check the fl uid levels regularly, and there’s no need for a front-end alignment after 10,000
miles. Implants need to be replaced only if they break, and they are not that fragile. Through the years, manufacturers have increased the strength of the implant shell; in my experience, only about 3 percent of implants break. I had a patient who wanted to go bigger after 19 years. When I removed her implants, they looked exactly as they did the day I put them in. For more information on this and similar topics, I recommend a plastic surgery Q&A book like "The Scoop On Breasts: A Plastic Surgeon Busts the Myths."

There is no scientific basis to the often heard concept that there is a need to replace breast implants after a certain period of time has passed following the original surgery. There is no need to perform an elective exchange of implants if everything is fine and the patient is not experiencing any problems with their implants.

Breast implants do not have an expiration date once implanted. Many can last 20+ years without issue. 

False, they don`t expire. But for safe you should replace it for a new ones at leat 10 years after having the implants.

Implants made after 1999 have been re-engineered.  The gel is cohesive and the shell is a trip-laminar membrane.  As a patient you must recognize that any implant can fail but the risk is low.  There is no true to the 10 year lifespan of an implant.  

It pretty straightforward: if you like how your implants look, and you like how your implants feel, then keep them. If not, replace them. It does not have to be more complicated than that.I hope this helps! Dr. Robert Shenker MD FRCSC 

There is a myth that implants will last only 10 years. There
is no valid scientific data to support that statement. You should realize that
no one can guarantee the life cycle of an implant, that it may not last forever
and it may not be a one-time surgery. Implants do not need to be replaced
unless a problem occurs. There is no expiration date on breast implants. I have
personally seen some patients who have had implants in for over thirty years
and the implants are still intact. The newer generation of current implants has
been improved. The implant manufacturers do have limited warranties on the
implants.



Robert Singer, MD FACS

La Jolla, California

No, implants do not expire when they are in the body, and ten years is not the limit.  However, over time, implants may require removal and exchange for various reasons so it is a good idea to be examined periodically.

That is a myth, the newer implants are warranteed for life by the makers against breakage. There is no specific time to replace them. If there is no problem leave them alone.

There is no time limit as to when or if you need to exchange your breast implants (I have also heard from patients that they have heard that breast implants need to be changed every 10 years). The only reason you need to exchange your breast implants is if you are having a problem with them or if you'd like to change the size.Some of the potential complications that may arise (necessitating breast implant exchange) would be deflation, capsular contracture, breast  implant displacement concerns, or just size change. If you are happy with the size of your breast implants and are having no problems, you do not need to do anything. Best wishes.