Lifetime of breast implants

All implants have a more or less time limited lifetime. The shell, which today consists of several layers of silicone, is affected both chemically and mechanically. Older implants with thinner shells are so thin that if you touch them they burst.

Modern implants have a little more thick shells and has therefore most likely longer durability. Studies have shown that 50% of examined silicone implants have erupted 10 years after a breast enlargement.

Wearing implants a longer time probably increase the risks for perforation. This is only one problem with implants containing slowly degradable material as silicone, because it is difficult to see if an implant is leaking or not. Free silicone is released into the capsule of prostheses and can be there for a long time without the patient can feel any difference.

The patient has normally a warranty that the implant should last more than 20 years and lifetime. The patient can have a damaged implant replaced for free, but the patient has to pay for the surgery.