It is very difficult to say how long breast implants last. Some may last for a few days to few weeks while other may be in perfect shape for several months and years. It depends on the individual circumstances, existing health complications in the body and the quality of the implant done, quality of manufacturers whose products are used and so on. In fact, anything new will not remain new forever. Whether it’s a car, or your own body, the older it gets, the more problem it creates. Though problems really do not have any time, and they can happen anytime. Similarly, breast implants are also likely to give problems, once the implant becomes old, and different health complications may arise from there.
It has been found by FDA that a breast implant for more than 10 years has eventually torn. However, this is always not the case. All breast implants have a similar basic design. Implants are mostly made of a silicone cover with a saline or silicone gel filling. Such implants have the risk of tearing or developing a hole, which may cause the contents of the implant to leak. Irrespective of the size of the hole, even if it is a small tear, such a condition is called a rupture.
There can be many causes for a rupture of the breast implant. With time, a wear and tear of the implant may occur. Accidents can happen, such as road accident, sharp falls or even a punch to the chest can cause such a rupture. Manufacturing defects in the implant cover can have an existing hole or tear during implant, or it may be done during surgery after the implants have been made and the surgeon is stitching the opening. Some medical conditions may also force the patient to undergo a biopsy, where a needle insertion can create a rupture.
Ruptures can happen due to ageing of implants, or because of a blow to the chest, such as in a car accident, or a bad fall. Tears or holes can also be caused by a defective envelope, by a nick from a needle during a biopsy, or even when the surgeon is closing the incision in your chest after putting the implants inside you. Saline implants have a filling device, which the surgeon uses to fill up saline in the cover of the implant. In case, the filling device is defective, or the implant cover has been taken from an unauthorized low-grade manufacturer, such an implant is bound to rupture or leak and eventually break.
