Mentor implants ruptured after only 3 yrs
I went back to the US for a checkup with my breast doctor in April, three years post-double mastectomy and reconstruction (Mentor smooth round silicone), and she ordered a standard MRI. When it was time for my follow-up appointment, she jokingly asked, "Have you been skydiving?" I said no, not understanding. She said, "Well something's going on, because both of your implants have ruptured." I could hardly pick my jaw up off the floor. I had no idea and can't imagine how it could have happened. I have not had any symptoms other than the fact that I have consistently have had annoying itching ever since the reconstruction, which has never subsided (everyone says it's the nerves regenerating, but I haven't really noticed any changes in the amount of itching over the past three years). She says the silicone is all still contained within the capsule and that I do need to have them removed & replaced but that there is no urgency. Has this happened to anyone else? Obviously it is disappointing. I don't want to go through another surgery so soon. She assured me that this surgery won't be as lengthy or complicated as the last one because I won't have the mastectomy like last time -- it's just a matter of removing the old implants and replacing them (they are on top of the pectoral muscles with alloderm, not underneath the pec muscles). But now I feel like I'm back to the drawing board in terms of choosing what kind to get. I was pretty happy with these overall, other than the itching -- but now I don't have a great degree of confidence that they won't just rupture again. I read a couple of studies that suggested that often times these ruptures actually occur when the implants are initially inserted, which makes me wonder if they have been ruptured all along. I would appreciate thoughts from anyone who has been through something similar. Thanks.