Ruptured or Deflated Breast Implant

A ruptured or deflated implant is covered by the product warranty in some instances. Breast implants that are damaged by a closed capsulotomy or during the breast augmentation surgery are not covered by the warranty.Research the warranty below.

Mentor breast implant warranty
Allergan breast implant warranty

Breast implants are not expected to last a patient their whole life, though they sometimes do. Implant manufacturers Mentor and Allergan cover the implants for life and will replace them free of charge although they will not cover the cost of surgery to replace the old implant with the new one. In some cases they will cover part of the surgeons cost.

There are a myriad of reasons why an implant may deflate or rupture. Underfilling or overfilling the implant beyond the manufacturer specifications is often the cause. (Note: all saline implants have a +/- threshold for underfilling or overfilling with saline.) Underfilling can cause the implant to have folds within the implant, and these folds over time will rub together creating friction that can weaken the implant. Overfilling the implant can cause the shell to stretch, which will also weaken the breast implant that can cause a rupture. An accidental trauma to the breast can sometimes cause an implant to rupture and slowly leak fluid or gel. It is worth mentioning that neither the saline or the gel/silicone leakage has NOT been proven to cause any harm to the patient. Extensive tests have linked no longterm health hazard due to breast implant leaks.

FDA - Breast Implant Safety
FDA - Making an Informed Decision About Breast Implants