LIFE-SPAN OF SILICONE GEL-FILLED MAMMARY PROSTHESES

The discussion on possible side effects of implanted silicone has resu lted in a growing number of patients inquiring whether or not their ma mmary prostheses are intact and when failure of the prostheses is to b e expected. Between November 1988 and May 1995, 182 patients had their silicone mammary prostheses replaced, repositioned, or removed one to three times. Capsular contraction, dislocation, pain paresthesia, and /or suspected rupture were common indications for surgery. To try and be able to provide an indication as to the correlation of implant age and integrity, we recorded the status of all 426 prostheses observed d uring secondary surgery. In this selected group of patients, approxima tely 50 percent of the mammary prostheses with an implant age of 7 to 10 years showed gel bleed or rupture. Applying the survival Kaplan-Mei er curve, 50 percent of implants may be expected to breed or be ruptur ed at the age of 15 years. Rupture was observed more frequently than g el bleed. It seems that there is no chronologic relation between gel b leed and rupture.