Most modern silicone breast implants—such as those made by Mentor and Allergan—are designed to be very durable and usually last 15 to 20 years or longer. However, they are not considered lifetime devices.
Recently, we have treated several patients whose implants had been in place for 30 or even 40 years. By that point, rupture is quite common, even if the patient feels perfectly fine. In many cases, the rupture is discovered only during routine imaging.
While modern implants are excellent, the shell naturally weakens over time. For this reason, we often recommend considering implant exchange somewhere in the 15-to-20-year range, even if there are no obvious symptoms.
Preventive replacement can avoid complications and allows us to restore the breast pocket with the newest generation of implants.
One of the most common questions patients ask is: “What happens if my implant ruptures?”
