Breast Implants may last and last and last

In general, the expected average lifespan of a breast implant is between 10 and 15 years.  Keep in mind that this an average, which means that some implants may leak at 5 years and some may not leak until 25 years. 

At any rate, you should be visiting your board certified plastic surgeon at least annually for an implant check.  He/she will make recommendations as to how/whether the implants need to be studied with sonogram or MRI. 

In the interim you can look for signs of leakage.  Of the two implant types available, saline and silicone gel filled, silicone leaks are more difficult to detect.  This is because the silicone gel is not absorbed by your body when it leaks from the implant.  It is contained in the scar capsule that forms around the implant.  That doesn't mean that silicone leaks are impossible to detect. 

Look for a change in the shape of the breast or a change in the consistency or feel of the breast as indications that there may be a leakage of gel out of the implant.

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The fine print of the implant manufacturer's literature states that breast implants are not lifetime devices, and last around 10-15 years. That being said, many women have implants for longer than 15 years, and some get them exchanged within an earlier time frame for a variety of reasons that may not be related specifically to the implant's integrity.

If you have cohesive gel implants which have been around quite a while, then you may not know if you have a leak, and the implant itself is likely so cohesive or form stable that it may not necessarily "leak" or bleed through a rent or tear in the shell.

For this reason, if you have a reason to suspect an implant rupture or tear, or are just worried about the time frame that you have had them, talk to your local plastic surgeon, have her or him perform a physical examination, and inquire about getting an MRI, which is the imaging test of choice to assess the integrity of an implant shell and silent rupture of a gel implant.

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