Q: What are the pros and cons of Mentor implants?

Pros Mentor’s saline and silicone breast implants can lend shape and fullness to underdeveloped breasts, or those that have deflated with age, weight loss, or breastfeeding. They come in over 500 unique profiles and sizes, to match any patient’s goals. They can also be used to reconstruct breasts after a mastectomy. The Mentor Promise Protection Plan offers one of the most comprehensive breast implant warranties on the market. Breast implant surgery results are immediate and generally get better over the first year post-surgery, as the implants “drop and fluff.” Mentor implants have a high patient satisfaction rate, with type: embedded-entry-inline id: Ks6V6ARYAktTMUTOEu3el of reviewers on RealSelf saying it’s Worth It . Cons Breast implant plastic surgery is expensive and not covered by insurance (though insurance companies are legally required to cover breast reconstruction ). You’ll have anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks recovery time, depending on how your body heals. Breast implants are not lifetime devices, so routine monitoring (via ultrasound or MRI) is recommended. Beyond a primary breast augmentation, you may eventually need additional surgeries to remove or replace old or damaged implants. All implants come with potential risks and side effects. Read on to learn more.

Q: Have Mentor breast implants been recalled?

Mentor implants have not been recalled due to BIA-ALCL risk. In October 2021, Mentor initiated a voluntary recall of its smooth, round saline diaphragm valve breast implants with expiration dates from January 01, 2025 to September 30, 2025. According to the company, “a small number of devices, due to an issue involving specific equipment used during manufacturing, may have a potentially weakened area on the base patch portion of the shell where the Mentor logo and identification numbers are located. This may result in premature deflation for which replacement surgery may be needed.” Since early 2022, Mentor saline implants have been fully back on the market without issues.

Question 1

What are Mentor breast implants?

Accepted Answer

The Mentor collection of breast implants is FDA-approved for breast augmentation or breast reconstruction. Mentor offers five types of breast implants: silicone-filled MemoryShape, MemoryGel, MemoryGel Xtra, or MemoryGel BOOST, as well as saline-filled implants.

Each option comes in a variety of sizes, shapes, projections (how far forward and wide they protrude from the chest), and surfaces (microtextured or smooth implants), to suit each patients’ body proportions and desired results.

Mentor MemoryShape, MemoryGel, and Memory Gel BOOST implants are recommended for reconstruction or augmentation patients who are at least 22 years old, while their saline breast implants are indicated for patients who are at least 18.

Mentor MemoryShape breast implants have a silicone gel formula and a teardrop shape (tapered at the top, gently sloping down to a fuller base) that’s meant to mimic a natural breast shape, with a youthful, firm appearance. MemoryShape implants have Siltex microtexture shells that help prevent them from rotating. Siltex has been shown to reduce the risk of capsular contracture, a common breast implant complication that occurs when the normal scar tissue capsule surrounding the implant thickens and constricts.
Mentor MemoryGel implants are filled with cohesive silicone gel, to mimic the feel of natural breast tissue. MemoryGel breast implants come in a number of sizes, shapes, and projections (moderate classic, moderate plus, high profile, and ultra-high profile), with smooth or Siltex shells.
Mentor MemoryGel Xtra implants contain the same cohesive memory gel, but they’re designed to maintain more of their shape and projection over time, explains Dr. Christopher V. Pelletiere, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Inverness, Illinois. “The implants are still as natural-feeling as the original MemoryGel, while providing a more long-term breast shape,” Dr. Pelletiere notes. “They come in an extensive range of sizes and styles (Moderate Plus Xtra, Moderate High Xtra, and High Profile Xtra) to meet any patient’s needs.”
Mentor MemoryGel BOOST breast implants are the newest offerings in the Mentor portfolio to win FDA approval. The brand’s proprietary cohesive gel is paired with an innovative shell design that provides stability for upper pole volume (cleavage) and shape retention, while maintaining a soft, natural feel.
Mentor Round Saline filled breast implants have a slightly different feel than cohesive gel implants. “Because they are filled during surgery, they can be made to feel a little softer or firmer, depending on a patient’s overall goals,” says Dr. Pelletiere. They’re available in three projections: moderate, moderate plus, and high profile. Filled with a sterile saltwater solution, they can be made to look round or teardrop-shaped.

Related: 6 Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Breast Implants

During your consultation, your plastic surgeon will discuss all of your options and help you visualize the result.

Question 2

What are the pros and cons of Mentor implants?

Accepted Answer

Pros

Mentor’s saline and silicone breast implants can lend shape and fullness to underdeveloped breasts, or those that have deflated with age, weight loss, or breastfeeding.
They come in over 500 unique profiles and sizes, to match any patient’s goals.
They can also be used to reconstruct breasts after a mastectomy.
The Mentor Promise Protection Plan offers one of the most comprehensive breast implant warranties on the market.
Breast implant surgery results are immediate and generally get better over the first year post-surgery, as the implants “drop and fluff.”
Mentor implants have a high patient satisfaction rate, with type: embedded-entry-inline id: Ks6V6ARYAktTMUTOEu3el of reviewers on RealSelf saying it’s Worth It.

Cons

Breast implant plastic surgery is expensive and not covered by insurance (though insurance companies are legally required to cover breast reconstruction).
You’ll have anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks recovery time, depending on how your body heals.
Breast implants are not lifetime devices, so routine monitoring (via ultrasound or MRI) is recommended. Beyond a primary breast augmentation, you may eventually need additional surgeries to remove or replace old or damaged implants.
All implants come with potential risks and side effects. Read on to learn more.

Question 3

How much do Mentor breast implants cost?

Accepted Answer

The price you pay will depend on:

your plastic surgeon's credentials and level of experience
their practice location
the type of anesthesia you have
the credentials of your anesthesia provider
the type of implant you choose

During your consultation, ask for a detailed price estimate that includes all related costs, not just the surgeon's fee.

Breast augmentation for cosmetic reasons is not covered by health insurance, but at least a portion of the costs of breast reconstruction after cancer treatment is covered by insurance in the U.S.

Question 4

Mentor breast implant before and after pictures

Accepted Answer

The Mentor breast implant photos in our gallery have been shared by the surgeon who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.

Question 5

Are Mentor breast implants safe?

Accepted Answer

Mentor breast implants are some of the most studied medical devices in the history of the FDA and have the agency’s full approval. They are widely considered to be safe—when they’re placed by an experienced plastic surgeon.

However, all breast implants carry risks, some which may require re-operation to correct.

These are possible complications of undergoing breast implant surgery with Mentor breast implants:

Infection
Bleeding leading to hematoma
Hypertrophic scarring
Capsular contracture
Seroma (a build-up of fluid)
Rotation or malposition, leading to breast asymmetry
Breast pain
Nerve sensation issues
Rupture or deflation
Implant rippling or creasing
BIA-ALCL (breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma), a rare cancer of the scar capsule around a breast implant, is only associated with textured implants (learn more below).
Breast implant illness (BII) is the common term for a group of symptoms that patients attribute to breast implants, ranging from gastrointestinal issues to musculoskeletal discomfort to neurological issues. While research into a potential link is ongoing, “breast implant illness” is a nonmedical designation, notes Dr. Pelletiere, and “currently there is very little objective data to link implants to the reported symptoms.” That said, BII is among the potential risks listed on the black box warning now required by the FDA for all breast implants.

Your surgeon should discuss these risks with you during your initial consultation, so you can make a fully informed decision.

See our complete guide to breast implant safety

Question 6

Are Mentor breast implants linked to cancer?

Accepted Answer

As of April 1 2022, the FDA has received 1,130 reports of BIA-ALCL cancer world-wide, all linked to implants with textured shells. Just 67 of these patients (5.9%) had Mentor breast implants, and 1 of those patients died.

The Siltex “microtexture” used on the shells of Mentor MemoryShape implants is associated with a significantly lower risk of BIA-ALCL than “macrotextured” options like Allergan’s Biocell implants, which were removed from the market following a voluntary worldwide recall.

A systematic review of studies on BIA-ALCL, published in the Annals of Breast Surgery in 2021, found that the average lifetime risk of BIA-ALCL with Mentor Siltex implants is 1 in 51,000.
Mentor’s breast tissue expanders—temporary devices used in breast reconstruction surgery—are also available with a Siltex textured shell, but they have not been linked to cancer.

While the risk of BIA-ALCL is extremely low, it’s still important to be aware of it. So far, there have been no documented cases of BIA-ALCL in patients with smooth-shelled implants, so you may want to discuss with your surgeon whether a smooth-shelled implant would be a good option for you.

Question 7

Have Mentor breast implants been recalled?

Accepted Answer

Mentor implants have not been recalled due to BIA-ALCL risk.

In October 2021, Mentor initiated a voluntary recall of its smooth, round saline diaphragm valve breast implants with expiration dates from January 01, 2025 to September 30, 2025.

According to the company, “a small number of devices, due to an issue involving specific equipment used during manufacturing, may have a potentially weakened area on the base patch portion of the shell where the Mentor logo and identification numbers are located. This may result in premature deflation for which replacement surgery may be needed.”

Since early 2022, Mentor saline implants have been fully back on the market without issues.

Question 8

How long do Mentor breast implants last?

Accepted Answer

Mentor breast implants—like all breast implants—are technically not lifetime devices. Doctors on RealSelf say breast implants typically last about 10 to 20 years before patients pursue revision surgery or implant removal. However, if they’re not causing you problems, they don’t need to be removed or replaced after a certain period of time.

The FDA recommends having an MRI screening (or high-definition ultrasound, if you have no symptoms) five to six years after silicone gel-filled implants are placed and every two to three years thereafter. With the new generation of highly cohesive gel implants, ruptures are uncommon prior to that five-year mark.

Silicone gel breast implant rupture is less common than side effects like capsular contracture, but it’s still well worth monitoring for this risk.

Question 9

What does the Mentor breast implant warranty cover?

Accepted Answer

Mentor (a Johnson & Johnson company) has a unique product replacement policy and comprehensive warranty program, the Mentor Promise Protection Plan, which covers all patients.

It offers free lifetime replacement for silicone rupture or saline deflation, with “up to two replacement breast implants of the same style at no charge.”
If rupture or deflation occurs within the first 10 years, Mentor also provides up to $3,500 in financial assistance for surgical costs.
For silicone implants, the plan also offers implant replacement for up to 10 years in the event of severe capsular contracture, double capsule, or late seroma complications.
The standard warranty also offers up to $2,000 in financial support for patients with silicone implants who develop capsular contracture within the first two years.

Mentor also offers an Enhanced Warranty, which can be activated by the patient within 45 days after surgery.

MENTOR BREAST IMPLANTS

Dr. Christopher V. Pelletiere

Jolene Edgar

Dr. Christopher V. Pelletiere

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