Answers
"I had saline implant augmentation done 6 years ago. I recently read an article that said saline implants last 7-12 years. Is this true? If so, how does one know the right time for replacement?"
— Answered by Paul Faringer, MD
Kailua-Kona, HI
In response to your question regarding the life expectancy of implants and decisions regarding replacement, Mentor Aesthetics, one of the 2 major implant manufacturers in the United States , has studies that show the deflation rate of saline implants is approximately 3 percent at 5 years and may be higher than 10 percent after 10 years. Although some implant manufacturers have estimated the life expectancy of saline-filled implants to be between 10-12 years, there are many patients who have had saline implants in place for over 30 years without any problems. I expect that a significant number of patients may have saline breast implants in place their entire lifetime without any problems. It is usually not difficult to ascertain if a saline implant has lost integrity or leaked, as the breast volume will decrease. The saline solution that would leak out of a deflated implant is the same as the fluid that runs through an intravenous catheter during surgery, and it is rapidly absorbed by your body. One potential hazard, which has been postulated, is the possibility of bacteria colonizing the inside of the saline implant and subsequently causing an infection if ruptured. I have never seen this, and the clinical incidence of this is probably insignificant. Aside from this potential hazard, there aren't many good reasons to replace a perfectly good implant on a routine basis. In my practice, I replace implants for problems such as rupture or capsular contracture and I do not recommend the routine replacement of implants. My incidence of implant replacement for rupture has been less than 3 percent over the past 10 years. In regard to your question, I would not recommend that you replace your breast implants unless you are experiencing a specific problem.
