Breast implants do not come with a lifetime guarantee and should not be considered as a 'one-off' procedure. How long an implant will 'last' in any one person depends on a number of variables and it is impossible say how an individual's body may react to a foreign body being inserted. Some women are lucky and may experience no adverse effects for 10 or 12 years; others may experience shifting or deflation of the implant or, worse, infection, much sooner. The materials used in implants (at least in the UK) are silicone, saline, hydrogel and PVP. PVP is the newest material to be introduced, though newer does not necessarily mean better or safer, as women who had soya bean implants between 1995 and 1999 can testify. Soya bean implants were withdrawn in 1999 after it was found that the 'natural' disintegration of the oil into the body posed unacceptable health risks and the 5,000 or so women who had these implants were all advised by the department of health to have them removed. Needless to say, if you are considering implants yourself, go and speak with your GP first who can advise you of reputable surgeons and obtain and digest as much info as you can.