What is the Body's Reaction to a Leaking Silicone Implant?

The body's reaction to the ruptured silicone impland is effected by several factors including type of silicone, length of time exposure has occuirred, amount of silicone, etc. Initially inflammation occurs, followed by a foreign body reaction and slow migration through the tissues, Fever can occur but is rare.

It's a great question. It's important to know that the latest generation of silicone implants are made of a silicone solid, and that they don't leak in the same way that older liquid silicone implants used to. The liquid silicone will leak, when the outer shell ruptures. When this liquid silicone touches the body tissues around the implant then information will occur in the silicone can begin to invade into the tissues with time. Again, the latest generation of implants are silicone solid do not leak in the same way. When considering breast augmentation make sure you find a board certified plastic surgeon who will take the time to answer all of your questions and explain all of your options, so that you can decide if breast augmentation is right for you.

Silicone breast implants are one or the most studied medical devices there are.  One thing to realize is that a ruptured silicone breast implant is unlikely to cause any sign or symptoms as long as the gel is contained in the breast capsule.When a breast implant is placed, over time a capsule or scar forms around the breast implant.  This capsule surround the breast implant.  If there is a rupture of a silicone gel implant, whatever leakage of the gel there is, the capsule generally contains the gel.  Now the older silicone implants were more liquid than the newer cohesive gel implants that are more solid.  With the old silicone implants, if there was a rupture and the capsule actually developed a break in it, then the silicone would permeate into the tissues and if enough got out then it would cause an inflammatory reaction with redness and firmness.The newer cohesive gel implants that are on the market today or not likely to cause similar issues as the older gel implants.However, it has been proven that neither the old or newer gel implants cause any systemic problems with a leakage.Hope that helps.

The FDA has extensively studied silicone implants with particular intensity and have found no link to swollen glands, rashes, joint aches and pains.  Leaks from silicone gel implants are contained locally within the capsule.

Dr. ES

Really, there should be no systemic reaction to a leaking silicone implant. This has been studied extensively. However, I have seen more scar tissue around ruptured implants as the body walls it away and contains the leak. This can present as firmness (capsular contracture) and pain in more severe cases with breast contour distortion.

Silicone implants have been more intensively studied than any other medical device and I can say categorically that silicone gel used in implants today is nontoxic. So even if the gel inside did "leak" out, you should not experience the symptoms you mention in your question. As a point of clarification it is also important to know that because the gel is cohesive, meaning it is a semi-solid and not a liquid, it doesn't leak. A silicone implant could be sliced open and the gel doesn't go anywhere.

While swollen lymph nodes in the armpit on the side of the leaking implant can sometimes occur, a fever would not be very likely to be caused by the implant, and should prompt a thorough evaluation for other more common causes of the fever.

Dear tracymo69
Sorry to hear that you are having symptoms. Fever and swollen glands are very unusual with a leaking silicone implant although occasionally the silicone can travel to the glands underneath the arms.  Usually the symptoms of a leaking silicone implant would be a loss or change of shape and it may often be associated with a capsular contracture (tightening of breast tissue around the implant which can be deforming or painful). It may not have any symptoms at all.  If you are having symptoms and are worried about your breast implants, the best course of action would be to see a board-certified plastic surgeon about your concerns and have them examine your breasts and arrange scans or treatment as needed.
Hope this was helpful.
Best wishes

If the breast implant leaks and it stay inside the capsule, they usually irritate the capsule and you can present with hard capsular contracture. Sometimes, the leak breach the capsule and your body detect the silicone and your lymph nodes collect and absorb this silicone leak. In this case, you will present with enlarged lymph nodes in the axilla ( under the arm pit)

Thanks for the question. This seems to remain a source of a lot of confusion out there even though the FDA has done an amazing job of protecting the public by requiring great data before they brought silicone implants back on the market.The old generation of Dow Corning breast implants (no longer on the market) were made of a type of silicone that did not stick together well. In cases of rupture/leak, there was a greater potential for the silicone to ooze out of the implant shell like a jelly donut opening up. The new generation of "cohesive gel" implants are made of a new form of silicone that stays together even if there is significant compromise to the implant shell. It is often called a "gummy bear" implant based on the more spongy feel and the cohesiveness.That being said, these devices still have small risks of the shell failing partly, which may allow a localized small leak to occur. The usual body reaction to this is either NO symptoms, or mild discomfort. More severe cases can lead to pain and tenderness in the breast and visible distortion from capsular contracture. However, because of "silent leak" risk, the FDA recommended that patients get MRI's every few years after silicone implants to continue to monitor and get more data back to the implant companies to fulfill long-term follow-up with the FDA on an ongoing basis. This is for general public safety and so far, in the last 10 years since these implants were brought onto the market, there has not been any kind of epidemic of problems with leaking implants. The leak rate remains in the low single-digit percentages over the lifetime of a patient according to our best recent data.Importantly, the FDA's studies did not show any correlation between silicone implants (leaking or intact) and the development of lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, or other diseases people were concerned about. In the rest of the world, where silicone implants were never taken off the market, there were likewise no population studies showing major disease risks from the leakage possibility.It is possible a leaking implant could allow some silicone particles to get into the lymphatic system and travel to lymph nodes, which could swell them. However, this again is a scenario that was far more likely with the old generation implants and highly unlikely with the cohesive gel generation.