Breast Implants: Q&A

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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.

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14 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon

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

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,... more

Gel implants might last forever, but maybe not...

If you have 13 year old gel implants, you might have ones with a memory gel, that is a more cohesive gel than the old silicone gel implants had. These should have less risk of gel leakage that could leave the implant and get into the tissue. You could get a breast MRI to evaluate them and meet with your plastic surgeon. But don't feel like a time bomb just because 13 years have passed. You might be one of the lucky ones whose implants will never have a problem.

Silicone implants leaking?

Silicone implants rupture approximately 1% per year. So I tell my patients that they can expect to have a leakage risk of 20% in one or the other breast after 10 years.

When WILL Silicone gel filled Breast Implants Leak

All man-made devices fail (IE cars, roofs, airplanes etc); The ONLY question is when. The most commonly cited number is 10-15 years, does not really help you and has given rise to the urban myth that implants "must" be exchanged, the way you would change the oil in your car (not at 3,000 miles), every 15 years. And yet. All of us have seen implants that failed much earlier than 10 years (not common) and women with apparent intact implants at 25 years (not rare). I would NOT adopt... more

Silicone breast implants leak

The data on this is not straightforward. It varies depending on whether or not the implant is used for augmentation or reconstruction and which manufacturer it is. At 6 years for augmentation one study showed a leak rate of about 1% and another was higher. It also depends on what exact generation of implants you have. They have been modified several times. In general, I tell my patients with older implants, such as yours, that as they approach 10 years (and you are at 13), I would consider... more

Leakage of breast implants

The incidence of breast implant , silicone, leakage is very small. It is recommended that you be examined by your plastic surgeon on a yealy basis. Mammogram or MRI can pick up leaking implants. Most of the leaking implants are intracapsular and is contained by the scar around the implant. The older generation of implants have more frequency of leaking. Cohesive gel implants have less chance of leaking. If you are concerned have your Plastic Surgeon examine you, a mammogram or MRI will put... more

Silicone breast implants risk of leakage is very low

The risk of leakage is very low, Recent studies suggest a 0.5% risk in the first 3 years. Older implants have a higher risk, and therefore if you are concerned that there is something wrong with your implants, then an MRI would delineate a leakage.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Risk of silicone breast implants leaking is less than 1% per year.

Hi. In New York City, we recommend that women who had breast augmentation with silicone breast implants have an MRI of the breasts every 3 years. The MRI will pick up a "silent" leak. Because one of your implants could be ruptured and you would not know it.

Silicone implant rupture rate

This is an intensely debated question without a simple answer. Some doctors suggest a rupture may happen in 10-15 years. Others remind us that for many patients a rupture may never happen. The FDA cites a rupture rate of about .05% at 3 years. Because of these figures the implant companies have recommended an MRI to scan for ruptures 3 years after implantation, and every two years following. The rate really depends on what generation of implant you are using, as it will vary with each.... more

Silicone breast implants may never rupture

One of the most frequently asked questions when I am doing a consultation for breast augmentation is how long does the implant last. I tell my patients that although there is no precise time period, most patients will have a second breast operation in about 10 to 15 years (whether it is to perform a lift, to get larger implants, to get smaller implants, or because of rupture). Their breast implants, however, may last forever. I have seen patients with perfectly good implants at 30 years... more

Silicone implant rupture: It depends

This really depends. From an official standpoint, we have one definitve resource. That is the studies submitted to the FDA for approval of the current implants which sites a 0.5% (1/200) chance at 3 years. It is for that reason, that the FDA recommends that 199 patients undergo an unnecessary MRI to detect one rupture at 3 years after surgery. The FDA has also advised that subsequent MRIs be obtained every 2 years thereafter. These studies were performed on round smooth surfaced silicone... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Implant longevity

I agree with the other surgeons - the average for re-operation for any reason for breast augmentation is between 10-15 years. It is likely that newer implants (less than ten years old) benefit from newer shell formulations. and would like to add that even in the face of implant rupture evidence (ultrasound, MRI, physical exam) - it is possible that the implants may be intact upon surgical exploration. There is no "expiration date" on the implants you have. There are just averages... more

Silicone implant leakage may be hard to tell and is uncommon with newer cohesive gel implants

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... more

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... more