Although breast implants don’t actually expire, they aren’t guaranteed to last . The average silicone implants may last from 10 to 20 years.
However, many are removed sooner due to complications or cosmetic concerns. Up to 20 percent of people have their implants removed or replaced within 8 to 10 years.
Wondering if it’s time to have yours replaced? Read on to find out symptoms to watch for, what you can expect from removal, and more.
Signs that replacement or removal is necessary
The following complications may necessitate breast implant removal.
Hardening
Many people develop capsular contracture, or hardened scar tissue around one or both implants.
This can also cause tightness, pain, tenderness, and abnormal cosmetic changes to the breast.
In some cases, hardening may happen more than once to the same breast.
Saline rupture (leakage and deflation)
If a saline breast implant ruptures because of a tear or hole in the implant’s shell, it will begin to deflate like a balloon.
The saline in your implant will leak out and get reabsorbed by your body. This leak can happen all at once or slowly over the course of a few days.
The deflation may not become obvious until all of the saline leaks out. The affected breast will lose its size and shape and look dramatically different from your other breast.
Breast implant ruptures are rare in the first few years, but the risk does increase over time.
Silicone rupture (silent rupture)
Silicone implants can also rupture.
Silicone gel is much thicker than saline. When a silicone implant ruptures, the gel will often stay inside the implant or surrounding scar tissue.
Because of this, ruptured silicone implants often go unnoticed. That’s why silicone ruptures are also known as silent ruptures.
Most people don’t experience any symptoms. When symptoms are present, they can include:
- decreased breast size
- hard knots
- an uneven appearance of the breasts
- pain or tenderness
- tingling
- swelling
- numbness
- burning
- changes in sensation
Although the exact rate of silicone rupture is unknown, it’s estimated to be somewhere between 2 and 12 percent.
Some implants rupture immediately, some after several years, and others after 10 years or more.
Read more: How Long Do Breast Implants Last?
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