Saline implants removed, and I asked to keep them. What could these particles inside the implant be? (Photo)

Question

I had my saline smooth implants removed, and I got implants back after the surgery. PS said they did not rupture. In one implant, there are brown flecks and brown small solid particles inside the saline implant, all floating around. Implant does not appear to have leaked. What could these particles be? Thank you for your help!

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and photographs.  Depending on the age of your implants, and the style of silicone used to create them, these flecks are either saline nodules or small fragments of the inner part of the silicone wall.  Because they sterilized your implants prior to giving them to you, the process likely caused some change in the color of the flecks.  Hope this helps.

Aldo Guerra, MD · Answer

There's no way to know what the particles are without a chemical analysis. However, I suspect they're some form of crystallized sodium chloride particles. Saline is sodium chloride in water so it makes sense some would crystallize after a while. Please remember your implants are a biohazard to others and need to be disposed of responsibly! Best wishes Dr. Aldo

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