There is much confusion and bad-enough information regarding the duration of breast implants. In this article we will try to clarify.
It is first important to distinguish between existing cohesive gel implants or saline implants and the old silicone oil. The latter should be changed to 10 years. Today almost all plastic surgeons use cohesive gel implants, but until recent years some still used implants and silicone oil. The prosthesis of silicone oil should be changed because if they break, the silicone oil spills its contents within the capsule (cavity around the implant) or outside it. Extra-capsular rupture is a serious event that must be corrected in the operating room as quickly as liquid silicone tends to spread.
Current cohesive gel prosthesis can last a lifetime, can last 15 or 20 years or may last a single year (though unlikely, we know some cases). There are several reasons why an implant can be changed according to the manufacturer Mentor: “Your implants may break due to the following causes: damage caused by surgical instruments, to force the implant during implantation and weakening occur, to form folds or wrinkles in the implant shell; excessive force in the chest (for example, during closed capsulotomy, which is contraindicated), trauma, compression during mammography images and intense capsular contracture. Breast implants may also simply wear out over of time. ” Source: Important Information for patients about breast augmentation breast implants, silicone MemoryGel.. (more…)