I can tell you that my surgery was in 2009. My surgeon did say, “Terri, these should last around 10 years”, and I made a mental note saying, “Save another 10 grand, Terri, because in 10 years you may have to get these replaced.” I also know, as a Canadian woman, that every 10 years I have a different thought and belief system because I have evolved. I actually thought that I might just want them out because maybe in my 50s I won't want these things. I think I'm typical.
What is devastating to me is that nobody in Canada—whether it's Health Canada or it's the manufacturers' inability to get that information to Canadians, including my implanting surgeon—told me to do anything until I had a problem. However, that is completely contradictory to all the manufacturers, and I think there are four that are licensed in Canada. Their own label says that we are to get implant surveillance, and there's some debate on when. Right now, the FDA standard is that you should be having your first preventive maintenance after your fifth year of surgery. To me, this is no more difficult than with your vehicle. We have preventive maintenance for these implants, because these things—silent ruptures, gel bleed, and intracapsular and extra-capsular ruptures—could be identified sooner.
I believe it comes down to the fact that we have a lack of private MRI resources. I don't believe that our government should be paying for an MRI for an elective surgery that I had. I think the problem is that we don't have privately paid MRIs.