What Are My Options With A Deflated Saline Breast Implant?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had Mentor saline breast implants placed in 1994 and now one has deflated. I need to find out what my options are to replace them.

A:Having a current saline implant deflation, regardless of when they were placed, leaves you with several options. First, you could simply replace the deflated implant only. With an established pocket (provided the deflation has not gone on for months), a saline implant can easily and painlessly be replaced even under local or IV sedation. While that is the simplest thing to do, most women would understandably be concerned about the other implant deflating soon thereafter. (particularly in your case where they are now 18 years old…beyond what most saline implants would be expected to remain intact) Therefore, the second option would be to replace both implants with new saline implants. Once you have suffered a deflation, however, most women do not want to endure another one and would like implants that at least have a chance to last the rest of your lifetime. With that consideration, the third option would be to replace both old saline implants with new silicone gel (gummy bear) breast implants which will not suffer the problem of deflation. They will have the best chance of lasting the rest of your lifetime. Of course, there is always a fourth option of simply removing both implants and not replacing them at all. For understandable reasons this is rarely done.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana