Breast implants are similar to many other medical devices as well as numerous products that we use in everyday life. They have a limited lifespan. Contrary to the perception of some patients, breast implants will not last over a patient’s lifetime nor is breast augmentation a single time surgery. Like the tires on your car, the compressor on your refrigerator or even the hard drive on your computer, breast implant failure is inevitable. It is never a question of if, but when.
Patients understandably ask how long will they last? No one knows with any certainty for any single one patient, but most patients will fall into the 10 to 20 year use range based on manufacturer’s statistics. A minority will fail in less than 10 years as well as not last much beyond the 20 year range.
What is breast implant failure? It is when the shell or containment bag of the implants develops a hole or a tear in it. When this happens what is inside can potentially come out depending on its material composition. With a saline implant, the fluid usually comes out quite quickly and this is known as deflation. With silicone gel, some of the viscous material may come out depending upon the cohesiveness of the gel. With high strength silicone gels, there is virtually no leakage. Since nothing comes out, this is not known as deflation but rather as a silent rupture which may not be detected for years.
Because of breast implant failure, it is important that every patient be aware of the manufacturer’s warranty. Even though the breast implant companies have no obligation to replace implants should they fail, to their credit they do. This is unlike almost any other medical device. When a hip replacement wears out, the orthopedic manufacturers do not offer to replace it for free. When your heart valve wears out, the manufacturer does not replace it for free. But breast implant companies do.
The lifetime warranties from breast implant manufacturers have, to no surprise, great similarity. But I will use the newest breast implant manufacturer, Sientra, as a specific example. First, there is lifetime implant replacement. Should your breast implant fail (rupture), no matter when in your lifetime it occurs, the company will give you a new replacement implant for free. (this does not mean they will pay for the surgery to put it in) In addition, they will also replace the opposite or contralateral implant even if it is not ruptured for free. Should breast implant replacement be necessary within the first ten years after implantation, up to $3600 of financial assistance is available to cover the surgical replacement. Sientra’s warranty is also unique because it only applies to those breast implants that are placed by board-certified plastic surgeons. (this is not difficult to differentiate because they only sell their implants to board-certified plastic surgeons)
While breast implants will not last forever, it is reassuring that some or all of the financial pain from the need for replacement is mitigated.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana