I was told to only have the plates and screws in my arm removed because of the following-

Something has moved and is causing real issues with pain and/or movement

Your religion/beliefs doesn't allow you have to foreign objects in your body when you die

The doctor said the risks of infection and of course then having a weak bone while the holes heal over is just no worth it. The airport security people told me that only really large metal implants like hip or knee replacements cause the alarm to go off.

So my metalware is here to stay. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!