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How Do You Know when There is a Rupture with Silicone Implants?

asked 1 year ago by MissL in Redwood City
Latest answer by George John Alexander, MD
Question viewed 461 times
Tags: silicone implant, leak, rupture

At my consultation, I felt both saline and silicone and as soon as I touched the silicone, I was sold on getting HP silicone implants. From watching videos (saline vs. silicone), silicone implants seem pretty indestructible. But my only reservation of silicone is not being able to detect a leak as easy as saline ones. I tried to do a search for "silicone ruptures" and there is a lot of information on saline ruptures but not silicone. How does one really know when it leaks/ruptures?

13 answers to How Do You Know when There is a Rupture with Silicone Implants?

Silicone Breast Implants all Rupture Eventually...100% of all breast implants eventually rupture.

All breast implants eventually rupture. Yes 100 % . Salines are just baloons with salt water and they wear out eventually. Some early, some late. All silicone gel implants rupture eventually....months to many years etc. When salines break you go flat. Whe gels rupture you may notice nothing and you do not go flat. I have had patients come in saying somehting felt different with their gels and ultrasonund studies have shown... more

George Commons, MD
Palo Alto Plastic Surgeon

www.pacfps.com

Knowing when silicone implants leak

When you compare saline and silicone gel breast implants the leak rates are very similar and silicone gel implants are not indestructible as you might think. Silicone leaks are 'silent' early on and are slowly followed by change in implant texture or shape, and by a drawing sensation and tenderness in the breast. Capsule contracture develops as the gel irritates the capsule and the implant will 'round up' and become firm. Over a longer period the capsule will calcify and show... more

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

www.peterejohnsonmd.com

MRI is the best test

The silicone implant rapture in many cases can be difficult to detect. It is usually asymptomatic although You need to pay attention to changes in the overall health. Symptoms can vary from patient to patient. It can be pain, tenderness, numbness, tingling and burning. Patient can experience also changes in the breast shape, size and contour. Currently FDA recommends to perform MRI screening of the implants after 3 years to detect silent rupture.

Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

MRI detects leaking silicone implants

Hi MissL, Most silicone implant leaks are "silent". That is, there is no shape or volume change which would alert you. Silicone breast implant rupture is best detected by an MRI. Occassionally, someone will have a new onset capsular contracture. Your insurance may or may not pay for MRI to screen for rupture. Definitely check with your insurance carrier to find out if this is covered, so you have this information. In NYC, for example, breast... more

Tracy Pfeifer, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

drpfeifer.com

Detecting a Leak in Ruptured Silicone Breast Implants

The most reliable test (100% accurate) to check if a silicone breast implant is leaking is surgery, but this is not practical unless we are planning to operate anyway. Physical examination is only about 30% effective in detecting silicone breast implant leaks. So while it is simple, painless and cheap, it is not particularly effective. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the most reliable "non-invasive" test to see if silicone breast implants are leaking. MRI is reportedly... more

Joseph Mele, MD
Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon

Rupture of Silicone Breast Implants

You are right, Silicone Implant rupture is hard to detect. About the only way to do so is with an MRI. With the newer cohesive gel implants, rupture will be even harder to detect. However, in my estimation, it really does not matter. The only person I would do anything about is someone with symptoms. In those, we would obtain an MRI to evaluate the problem. In my carrier, I have had many patients with ruptured implants (the old style, non-cohesive ones). The only ones I did anything about... more

Robert T. Buchanan, MD
Highlands Plastic Surgeon

Prevention makes this a moot point

Hopefully you as the patient will never have to worry about determining if your implant has ruptured. My standard recommendation is to change out gel implants at 8-10 years following implantation. This is a time when the vast majority of implants are intact and can easily be exchanged for new ones. Going longer between implant changes with gel increases the risk of rupture which in turn increases cost to remove and replace the ruptured device. My patients who receive gel implants are... more

Kirk A. Churukian, MD
Los Gatos Plastic Surgeon

Silicone lekas

Excellent question. The usual signs we look for on exam is change of shape, change of size, or change or texture orconsistency. But this is complicated. Some leaks produce a hardening due to capsular contracture. However, a harden implant that because soft may also signal a leak. A leaking implant that is not hard is ofter more soft than an intact implant; it feels very mushy and gooey. Mammograms and ultrasound exam might show some signs but MRI is the most sensitive test. In fact the FDA... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Silicone rupture

It is recommended that 3 years after implantation that you have an MRI to check if you have a rupture. Then every 2 years thereafter. It is not mandatory that you do this, but highly recommended. Ruptures are "silent" meaning they have no symptoms. MRI is not 100% accurate due to limitations in technology. It is up to the patient to decide if they would like to proceed with a post-operative MRI.

Michael A. Fiorillo, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Ruptur rates after Gel Breast Implant Augmentation

A patient may never know about"silent ruptures" in silicone gel implants. There may be no change in the breast. We know that every patient will develop a capsule around an implant, saline or gel. Implants from the 70s and 80s have a rupture rate of 50-60% after 12 years and should be replaced or imaged by MRI or combination mammogram and ultrasound. Yearly examinations by your plastic surgeon are recommended to detect silent ruptures. Rupture rates with the new gel implants are... more

Leo Lapuerta, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Silent ruptures

This is a great question! As you are probably aware, breast implants, whether saline or silicone are not “lifetime” devices. Silicone implant ruptures are most often silent. The “gold standard” for detecting a silicone implant rupture is a MRI study. This is why a MRI is recommended three years after the initial surgery and every other year thereafter.

George John Alexander, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Silicone ruptures

The most accurate way to detect a silicone rupture is by MRI study. On physical exam, the breast may take on a different shape and it may be hard to detect.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Ruptured Silicone Implants

I agree with your assertion that silicone implants are more natural feeling than saline implants. There is no sureproof way to determine if silicone implants have ruptured. The FDA recommends MRIs but theu are not 100% reliable. The good news is that ruptured silicone implants which have no extracapsular extravasation are probably not problematic.