Silicone Implants: Longevity, Rupture, and Lifespan of a breast implant

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD answers: How long before silicone implants risk leakage?

How long can you leave silicone breast implants in before they risk leakage?  Mine are 13 years old and I'm worried that they may start to leak soon.


Raffy Karamanoukian, MD
10 months ago
By Raffy Karamanoukian, MD - Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Silicone breast implants are likely to rupture after 10 to 15 years.  The outer silicone shell begins to wear and may also break open to expose the implant.  Folds in the implant or thickened capsular contracture may decrease the timing to implant rupture.  If this occurs, the silicone breast implants are removed from the breast and exchanged with newer implants.

Thus, the lifespan of an implant is not finite. 

There are several modalities to detect breast implant rupture, including MRI, Ultrasound, and even mammogram. 

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