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Cohesive Gel Implants Swelling After Doing Push Ups

I had breast augmentation surgery 2 1/2 years ago. These are the cohesive gel implants. The other day i was doing push-ups and felt something pop or strain. A day later, one of my breasts is swollen, twice the size of my other breast. Since then I've had a mammogram and an MRI; but both showed no tears nor ruptures in the implant. I am experiencing no pain nor any bruising at all--just swelling. What do you think is going on?

Asked 34 months ago by chrissy289 in Hastings, NE

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exercise swelling

Breast swelling following breast augmentation

What you describe most likely represents a resolving hematoma, or seroma. This should be clearly evident on the MRI, unless it had resolved by the time the MRI was performed. An ultrasound-guided needle aspiration or surgical exploration may be indicated if there is a fluid collection evident. If however, the implants are intact and there is no fluid collection, I would tend to advise observation only.

Glynn Bolitho, PhD, MD, FACS

San Diego Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Risk of infection and capsular contracture is higher

Seromas are thankfully infrequent and can many times, according to the literature, be observed to allow possible spontaneous resolution. If the fluid is characterized as blood from trauma then the proper treatment is surgical evacuation. Even with careful sterile drainage, there is small risk of infection and capsular contracture.

Michael C. Edwards, MD

Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Pop and swelling with breast implants

Thanks for your question - Your symptoms could be as the other plastic surgeons describe but it could very likely be a rupture of the capsule around the implant. (This is not the same thing as a rupture of the implant shell). After breast augmentation your body forms scar tissue around the implant. This is typically a soft pliable envelope around the implant but in some situtations can be thick and painful. Sometimes after trauma or strong muscle action (the latter is much rarer) the... more

Steven H. Williams, MD

San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

There must be fluid around your implant

If this was a sudden change, the only likely explanation is fluid around the implant -either a hematoma or a seroma or an infection. All will need exploration and drainage surgically to resolve the swelling and to find out what happened. The MRI should have shown fluid around the implant - did you hear that in your report? Ask your doctor about this.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Sudden swellling left breast

It looks as if your left breast is considerably more swollen and I am somewhat surprised that your MRI did not show this. I have observed this in 3 patients: One I drained and obtained clear fluid with no growth of bacteria or fungus on microbiology studies. I placed her on antibiotics and over a month it resolved and she did well. Another, I surgically explored with findings of blood. I suspect she injured a blood vessel which bled into the capsule. The other I drained and obtained clear... more