Restorative Techniques

Breast Implant Lifespan, Leaks and Ruptures

As you may know, breast implants are subject to wear and tear, and the outer envelope of an implant can break down. According to information published by one of the major manufacturers of breast implants: “Breast implants are not considered lifetime devices. You will likely undergo implant removal with or without replacement over the course of your life.”

Data published by the by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration show that:

• Approximately 50% of women will require unplanned re-operation within 7 years of undergoing reconstruction using saline-filled implants
• Implant removal is required by approximately 30% of women within 5 years of reconstruction with a saline-filled implant
• Within 7 years of surgery, nearly 40 % of women will require implant removal

Data available for silicone-filled implants shows similar trends.

Monitoring for Implant Rupture

Each year that a saline-filled implant is in the body, the chances that it will rupture go up by about 1%. Leaks and ruptures of silicone-filled implants often go unnoticed and can be difficult to detect, unlike leaks or ruptures of saline-filled implants, which are generally easily detected. For this reason, the Food and Drug Administration recommends that women who have silicone gel-filled breast implants be screened with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) very frequently (at years 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 after surgery).

Key Points to Remember If You Have Breast Implants

According to the FDA publication Breast Implants––Potential Local Complications and Reoperations:

• Breast implants will not last a lifetime
• One or more times over the course of your life, you will probably need to have your implants removed because of rupture or other complications
• You are likely to need additional doctor visits, reoperations, or implant removals because of one or more complications over the course of your life

In spite of the potential downsides, implant-based breast reconstruction is still chosen by many women. For women who wish to undergo breast reconstruction without an implant, natural-tissue breast reconstruction procedures may be appealing.