How long can I wait for another surgery after silicone rupture?

Hi and thanks for your question. Practicing in the Miami/South Florida area I am exposed to many, many patients who have had their breast augmentation performed in South or Central America. I have seen and continue to see many ruptured implants, not just from these areas but locally also. The Miami area has had a great influx of South and Central Americans but particularly from Venezuela and Colombia. An ultrasound is not the definitive test for identifying a ruptured silicone gel breast implant. You need to get an MRI of the breast. I have frequently found that Ultrasounds can give what we call a false positive, meaning that when the implant is removed, it is intact. I would advise you to get an MRI to be more certain of the diagnosis. I have even had patients with MRIs showing a rupture and at the time of surgery, the implants are found to be intact.How long ago were the implants inserted? If they were done in Mexico, do you know the manufacturer? These questions are important to find out. From the mid to late 1990s through the early 2000s there was a french implant manufacturer that produced the PIP implant. These PIP implants were notorious for rupture and more important turned out to be toxic. The french company declared bankruptcy and there was a world wide recall to removed and replace them with other brands. The point is that during this period of time, PIP implants were considered the "best" in many Latin American countries and were widely used. When the migration of countless South and Central Americans occurred to the South Florida area, most of us who practice down here were flooded with requests to replace them.In your case, if it is confirmed that you have a rupture, I would remove both sides and replace them with btreast implants originating in the US and composed of cohesive silicone gels. Good luck and I hope this was of some help. Always seek the advise of surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery with years of experience in cosmetic breast surgery.

A ruptured silicone gel breast implant, while not a surgical emergency, should be replaced as soon as possible. Ultrasound is not the gold standard for diagnosis, an MRI is. If your breast lump is indeed from a leaking silicone gel breast implant, not only do you have a leak, but it has leaked through the capsule around the implant and is migrating through your breast tissue. The bump that you feel will progressively get larger, and removal of the leaking gel will become more disfiguring as more tissue needs to be removed. This is not something you want to watch. Mexico does not have the same regulations as the US FDA, and some implants that were available there have been recalled because they are of inferior quality. The gel is substandard and they leak often. If you have PIP implants you have should both replaced. Do not delay your treatment. Seek an experienced Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in your area urgently.