THE 10 YEAR MYTH

Someone say that breast implants will need to be replaced at the 10 year mark? This is a common misconception, more of an urban myth than actual fact. If there is ever a problem with your implants, such as a leak or rippling, it is time to have them replaced. If your implants still look healthy and beautiful, even after 10 or more years, they can remain in place. While implants are not necessarily made to last forever, they do not come with an ‘expiration date’. Saline implants are generally acknowledged to leak at a rate of 1% per implant, per year. Therefore, in 10 years, since you have two implants, there is a 20% chance that one of your saline implants will leak, and hence, will need to be replaced. Silicone implants normally have less chance of leakage, with a rate of 0.08% per implant, per year. That comes to just over a 1.5% chance that your silicone implants will leak in the first 10 years.

About 25-50% of women with implants will chose to have a second augmentation within the first 10 years; although only about half of these will include replacing the current implant. The most common reason for a breast revision is the desire for a different breast size, either going with a smaller or larger implant. The need for a breast lift may arise, as well, prompting a new breast augmentation.