Do breast implants need to be changed every 10 years?

Plastic surgeons are frequently asked by patients whether breast implants need to be changed every 10 years. A simple answer is no. Breast implants do not need to be changed if there are no problems with them. For most patients, breast implants will last a lifetime. However, some women will need to undergo a second surgery. There are several reasons for which this may be necessary.

- Capsular contracture occurs in about 8-9% (3 year study, Mentor) of women undergoing breast augmentation using silicone or saline implants. Capsular contracture is a thicker than usual capsule that is formed around the implant causing the implant to feel harder and deforming its shape. For severe forms of capsular contracture, revision surgery may be necessary to remove or release the capsule.
– Implant infection requires implant removal but fortunately happens very rarely.

- Implant asymmetry is another reason for which women may seek revision surgery.
– Implant rupture has an incidence of about 0.5% for silicone implants and about 3 % for saline implants (3 year study, Mentor). Ruptured implants need to be removed.

The new generation silicone implants have a lower leak rate than older silicone implants. Breast augmentation has become and more socially acceptable procedure.

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