My Sister Had Painful Lumpy Implants So She Had Them Replaced, then She Found a Lump in Her Breast?

My sister had her original silicone implants replaced because they were lumpy and contracted. Then she found a lump on her breast, after a mammogram, an ultrasound and an MRI they found it was due to silicone leakage. Her plastic surgeon said it was not due to the new implants but leakage from eakage of her original ones. It seems when the original implants were removed, they should have been checked for defect and area cleaned before replacement. isn't this the standard practice?

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2 Doctor Answers | Asked by micheleRN

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Painful lumpy implants

Your sister should go through the normal pattern of having an ultrasound and mammogram and from that point consider whether to have a biopsy but to keep in mind that a biopsy may rupture the implant.

Ruptured silicone gel implants can be difficult to remove

Very old silicone gel breast implants that have become contracted will have a thick and often calcified capsule. If the implants had been subjected to a 'closed capsulotomy' as also was often the case years ago the gel may have leaked outside of the capsule. It is the routine to remove the implant and implant material and capsule, though for some, silicone cysts may remain despite best efforts.