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How Long Can Ruptured Saline Implants Stay in my Body?

asked 3 years ago by October in Seattle, WA
Latest answer by Richard Linderman, MD
Question viewed 15,822 times
Tags: saline implants, risk, rupture

My right saline implant ruptured or had a slight leak some time ago. I had my surgery 8 years ago, and my surgeon is in another state some 2000 miles away. How long can I live with this deflated saline implant in my body before it causes harm? Should I have it replaced or removed immediately?

18 answers to How Long Can Ruptured Saline Implants Stay in my Body?

Saline implant removal entirely up to you

The best time to replace a ruptured saline implant is immediately after the deflation is noticed. The reason for this is that the capsule, or scar layer surrounding the implant will begin to shrink down around the deflated implants. After a certain time passes (approximately 2-4 weeks), replacing the implant may require opening of the shrunken capsule to accommodate the volume of the new implant. In your case, the deflation happened "some time ago." If this time is longer than... more

James C. Grotting, MD
Birmingham Plastic Surgeon

You want to replace a leaking implant ASAP

A leaking or deflated saline implant is not an emergency but it should be attended semi urgently. Once the implant fluid is absorbed by your body, not only will you have an apparent "deflation", but your body will begin to tighten the capsule around the implant making future surgical corrections more difficult. If attended to within a week or two, the implant can simply be removed and another inserted. This can be performed under local anesthesia. However, if you wait too long, you might... more

David Rankin, MD
Jupiter Plastic Surgeon

Saline implants

Saline breast implants don't leak, they rupture and deflate pretty quickly. A partially or completely deflated saline implant can be left in place for a few weeks but the pocket will shrink slowly and scar tissue can set in making the replacement a little more difficult in some patients. It is not unreasonable or unsafe to wait a few weeks before replacement.

Antoine A. Hallak, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

When should ruptured saline implants be removed is up to you

There is no medical necessity for removing a ruptured saline implant, the saline (saltwater solution) will be safely absorbed by your body, it will be basically determined by you, the patient, as to how soon after deflation this should take place. Deflations can happed any time after surgery, they can happen overnight or they can be slow in progression. Implants come with a lifetime warranty (these can vary from company to company check with your physician) and deflation due to crease fold... more

Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

We have had patients wait as long as a year without undue effects from a ruptured breast implant..

A ruptured saline breast implant is noticed almost immediately in the vast majority of cases. The saline is absorbed into the body without any harmful effects. Although having a ruptured saline implant is certainly an inconvenience, it is not a medical emergency to have it replaced. It certainly can be considered an urgent matter, because no woman wants to walk around with sever asymmetry that can be noticed. Another reason to proceed relatively quickly in replacing the implant is... more

Francisco Canales, MD
Santa Rosa Plastic Surgeon

Sooner is better than later

I agree with the answer below- tightening of the connective tissue pocket around your implant will progress with time. While this is possible to improve at surgery, the chances of you achieving an excellent outcome and symmetry are higher if you have this managed sooner rather than later. Having said that, there should be no risk to your health if you are unable to deal with this immediately.

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

Indefinitely unless they cause a problem

When a saline implant ruptures, most patients want to have it fixed "yesterday" because of the asymmetry it creates. However, it is not technically necessary to remove the implant unless it is causing a problem. Sometimes, the implant, round when it is inflated, develops sharp painful edges on it once it is deflated and folds. This problem is more common in women with little body fat and relatively little breast tissue. This can cause pain, obviously a reason to remove the... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Ruptured Implant

Replacement of a ruptured implant in not an emergency but when the replacement is done within a week or two, there is less scarring and it is technically easier to recreate the pocket to replace the implant. Your implant probably has a lifetime warranty replacement. If you have your implant information, see a local plastic surgeon to see about replacement. You can also call your original surgeon to get this information and a referral to someone in your area. While the ruptured implant may... more

Richard Linderman, MD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

How long to wait after a ruptured saline implant.

In my experience this should be attended to in days not weeks. Waiting will cause shrinkage of the capsule and an asymmetry because the the newly operated breast will be harder or higher. If the implant rupture has been ignored for months, I believe that the capsule has to be removed to avoid the hardening.

Farhad Rafizadeh, MD
Morristown Plastic Surgeon

No rush in replacing deflated saline implants, but don't wait too long

There is no rush to change your implants unless you are bothered by the size change and/or asymmetry. The saline will get reabsorbed and it is safe. However, I would not wait months or years as you will get some contraction of the capsule or scar around the implant, as it is smaller now and some contraction of your skin occurred. Therefore, the exchange surgery will be a bit more involved in releasing the capsule so you can get back to the size you were before the implants deflated. It... more

Bahram Ghaderi, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

No Rush

I had a patient who had bilateral implant ruptures for many years without problem. As long as you do not have a problem there is no rush. I wouldn't recommend waiting years or even too many months. Get it taken care of when practical.

Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

There is risk to ignoring the ruptured saline implants

Hello, When a ruptured saline implant is left in place, the pocket in which that implant sits tends to close down. It can be opened again at surgery, but may not heal as well the second time around. For this reason , I recommend earlier as opposed to later replacement optimally within weeks of the rupture. Best Regards

John P. Di Saia, MD
Orange Plastic Surgeon

It's a matter of convenience

As stated above, there is no emergency to remove ruptured saline implants. I have taken care of a number of patients who for various reasons have waited years to have this problem addressed. It would be unusual for the pocket to contract down making later surgery more difficult. Get this problem taken care of when you feel it is appropriate or if some unusual extenuating circumstances arise. Hope this helps, Dr. Kaufman

David L. Kaufman, MD
Folsom Plastic Surgeon

The can stay in as long as they would have if full

Saline implants that rupture should have no significant increased risk of further complications than an implant that has not ruptured. It can probably stay in forever. But, replacing it sooner than later aesthetically is probably a good idea.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Actually they are harmless to you

I have seen many patients who have had deflated saline implants that they have not addressed for years and they have just left in them. Even some will ask you to just deflate the other rather than having them removed! Removal and replacement is the preferred procedure however and is easy to do. There is no emergency in doing it. The only problem you can get into by waiting is that the pocket may shrink if you wait to long and this makes the replacement a bit more involved.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Sooner is better

Researchers don't know the long-term inherent health risks and it is possible that a ruptured implant may have an increased chance of infection. In addition (as mentioned above) as time goes on, your body will start closing the space that the implant had formed and make it more difficult to get the implant out or back into the same place. The good news is that a saline implant is made from the same type of saline that is already in your body, and the liquid alone shouldn't have an affect on... more

Joseph Thomas Cruise, MD
California Plastic Surgeon

Treating Deflated Breast Implants

Removing deflated saline implants should be something that you should do on the sooner side. It is usually not considered a surgical emergency and some people who have silent leaks from small implants have presented to my practice with implants that had probably been ruptured for years. The largest cosmetic issue with a unilateral ruptured implant is that most patients want restoration of symmetry (usually requiring replacement of the implant). As time goes by (3-6 months) the pocket and... more

Steven H. Williams, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

Fixing a Flat: Sooner or Later

Leaking saline implants pose no health risk to the patient, since the saline that filled the implant is sterile and will simply be absorbed by the body. A leaking saline implant can create a variable degree of asymmetry, depending upon the extent of the leakage (partial vs. complete), and depending upon how much of the apparent size of the breast is due to the volume of the implant. The asymmetry is generally the motivating factor for patients to address the problem sooner rather than later... more