Breast implants do not have an expiration date; they are designed to be durable and long-lasting. However, like any medical device, breast implants can deteriorate and wear out given enough time. If your breast implants leak or rupture, they will need to be replaced. For some women, this won’t happen for over 30 years. For others, it can happen within 10 to 25 years. How long breast implants last depends on a number of different factors.

If you have saline breast implants, your implants will visibly deflate after a rupture, making it immediately obvious when there is a problem. The salt-water solution within the saline implants will then be harmlessly absorbed into your body.

In contrast, silicone breast implants are designed to retain their shape in the event of a leak, making it difficult to determine when a rupture has occurred. Because of this, the FDA recommends that you undergo an initial MRI 3 years after your breast augmentation followed by an MRI every two years to check for any problems with your silicone breast implants.

Other women may wish to replace their old breast implants for cosmetic reasons. For example, if you had saline breast implants placed decades ago, you may want to take advantage of the superior aesthetic quality of today’s FDA-approved silicone breast implants.

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