Mentor Advantage & Mentor Enhanced Advantage

Breast Implant Limited Warranty Information

Please note: the information on this page is effective only for surgeries with Mentor saline breast implants prior to May 1, 2005.

Click here for limited warranty information for all surgeries after May 1, 2005.

Lifetime Product Replacement Policy

• Automatically applies to all recipients of Mentor breast implant products.
• Provides that regardless of the age of the implant, when confirmed deflation or rupture occurs, a patient is eligible for 1 to 2 no-charge replacement breast implant products of a similar style and size.

The Mentor Advantage Limited Warranty

The Mentor Advantage Limited Warranty is free of charge to all patients who are implanted with Mentor saline-filled and silicone-filled breast implant products.

• Lifetime product replacement policy^*
• 5 years and up to $1200 financial assistance for operating room and anesthesia charges not covered by insurance^**
• Non-cancelable terms

The Mentor Enhanced Advantage Limited Warranty

This limited warranty is optional, applies only to saline-filled breast implant products, and must be purchased for an enrollment fee of $125 within 45 days from implantation.

• Lifetime product replacement policy^*
• 10 years and up to $1200 financial assistance for operating room and anesthesia charges and up to $1000 towards the surgeon’s fee not covered by insurance^**
• Non-cancelable terms

The Mentor Enhanced Advantage Limited Warranty is an optional plan for Mentor saline-filled implants designed to provide financial assistance when a qualifying revision surgery occurs within ten years after the date of original implantation. The program includes the following:

Operating room and anesthesia assistance up to $1200

Mentor will pay uninsured, out-of-pocket costs for operating room and/or anesthesia expenses directly related to qualifying revision surgery up to a maximum aggregate amount of $1200.

Surgeon’s fee assistance up to $1000

Mentor will pay uninsured, out-of-pocket costs directly related to qualifying revision surgery for surgeon fees up to a maximum aggregate amount of $1000. The terms in effect when original implantation occurs will apply at the time of claim.

Products Covered

The Mentor Advantage coverage applies to all Mentor breast implants that are implanted in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico; the Enhanced Advantage coverage applies to Mentor saline-filled breast implants that are implanted in the United States and Puerto Rico; provided the breast implants have been:

• Implanted in accordance with the Mentor package insert, current to the date of implantation and other notifications or instructions published by Mentor.
• Used by appropriately qualified, licensed surgeons, in accordance with accepted surgical procedures.

The Mentor Advantage effective date is October 1, 2000, with a surgery retroactive date to October 1, 1998.

The Mentor Enhanced Advantage effective date is October 1, 2000, with a surgery retroactive date to January 1, 2000.

Events Covered

The Mentor Advantage and Enhanced Advantage coverages apply to the following:

• Deflation due to crease fold failure, patient trauma, or unknown cause
• Loss of valve integrity

Other loss-of-shell-integrity events also may be covered by this program. Mentor reserves the right to determine if specific, additional events should be covered.

Events Not Covered

The Mentor Advantage and Enhanced Advantage coverages do not apply to the following:

• Removal of intact implants due to capsular contracture, wrinkling, or rippling
• Loss of implant shell integrity resulting from reoperative procedures, open capsulotomy, or closed compression capsulotomy procedures
• Removal of intact implants for size alteration

Filing for Financial Assistance

To file a Mentor Advantage claim for product replacement and/or financial assistance, the surgeon must contact the Mentor Product Evaluation Department at 1-800-258-3487 prompt #1 prior to replacement surgery.

For financial assistance claims, a patient-specific Release form will be generated that the patient must sign and return.

For either replacement or financial assistance claims, the surgeon must send the explanted, decontaminated Mentor breast implant(s) within six months of the date of explantation to:

Mentor Product Evaluation
3041 Skyway Circle North
Irving, TX 75038-3540

Upon receipt, review, and approval of the completed claim, including receipt of the explanted product and patient completion of a full general release, financial assistance will be issued.

This is a summary of Mentor’s Advantage and Enhanced Advantage coverages. It is an overview only and not a complete statement of the programs. You may obtain a copy of the complete Mentor Advantage and Enhanced Advantage Limited Warranties by writing or calling:

Consumer Affairs Department
MENTOR
201 Mentor Drive
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
1-800-525-0245

You may also obtain a copy of the complete program from your physician. Mentor reserves the right to cancel, change, or modify the terms of the Mentor Advantage and Enhanced Advantage coverages. Any such cancellation, change, or modification will not affect the currently stated terms of the Mentor Advantage and Enhanced Advantage coverages for those already enrolled.

This website provides an overview of the Mentor Advantage and Enhanced Advantage Limited Warranties for breast implants. However, it is not intended to replace any discussion between you and your surgeon.

THIS IS A LIMITED WARRANTY ONLY AND IS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN THIS DOCUMENT AND EXPLAINED IN GREATER DETAIL IN THE APPLICABLE MENTOR LIMITED WARRANTY. ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, BY OPERATION OF LAW OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS ARE EXCLUDED.

THIS REMEDY IS THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY AVAILABLE. MENTOR SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR SPECIAL LOSS, DAMAGE, OR EXPENSE ARISING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FROM THE USE OF THESE PRODUCTS. MENTOR NEITHER ASSUMES, NOR AUTHORIZES ANY OTHER PERSON TO ASSUME FOR IT, ANY OTHER OR ADDITIONAL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY IN CONNECTION WITH THESE PRODUCTS.

The terms in effect when original implantation occurs will apply at the time of claim.

 

* Lifetime Product Replacement Policy: Mentor will provide replacement Mentor product of the same or similar type as the originally implanted product free of charge for the lifetime of the patient. Refer to the Mentor Advantage Limited Warranty for eligibility and program details.

** In order to qualify for financial assistance, you will need to sign a Release form.