What Can Cause Pain/discomfort in Breast 9 Years After Breast Augmentation? Do I Need to Replace my Saline Implants?

I have had pain/discomfort in my left breast steadily for over 3 mos. I have saline implants (under the muscle) for 9 yrs now. There's no apparent deflation or hardening. Mammogram & ultrasound results came back normal (despite some calcification). The doctor said he did not see anything wrong with my implant and it could possibly be costachondritis. But the pain does not go away w/ NSAIDS & is in my breast. My surgeon is retired and the office is 6 hrs away. What steps should I be taking? MRI?

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5 Doctor Answers | Asked by Nat24

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Breast pain

At this time, I would certainly NOT remove the implants. You need further evaluation and I think a MRI is the next step. Try to localize the pain to your breast, the chest wall or the pocket of the implant. You need to discover factors that precipitate the pain or make it worse. Your signs and symptoms may lead to the cause. Best of Luck, Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Breast pain 9 years after saline-filled breast implants

One of the advantages of the saline-filled breast implant is that you don't have to wonder whether it's intact or run any tests on it. It's either obviously intact or it's obviously not. In your case you can be sure it's fine. From your description you can also be sure the problem is not in the capsule around the implant as this is not contracted or abnormal feeling. Therefore the pain must be coming from the breast or the chest wall or the tissues around the breast even... more

Breast pain after 9 years with implants

There are many different causes of breat pain. One common cause is tightness of the capsule areound the implants. An exam would be helpful to determine possible causes.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Breast pain nine years after Augmentation

There are many causes of breast pain, most of them are benign. A capsular contracture of an implant can be painful, but if your implant is soft, movable and in good position you do not have a capsule. Inflamation of a rib or the chest wall can cause discomfort, as in a costo chondritis as you mention. Cysts of the breast can be painful and can vary with hormonal swings. Caffiene can trigger breast pain ,either in beverages or choclates. If your implants remain... more

Pain in the breasts 9 years after augmentation probably has nothing to do with breast implants.

I doubt your breast pain is related to the implants. If your surgeon is retired, make an appointment to see a plastic surgeon that is not and get his opinion.