Can my body "reject" implants?

Question

Hello doctors, I recently went to my first consultation for a BA. I am wanting to get silicone smooth implants, but keep hearing these horror stories from friends and family about women they know that ended up having to get their implants removed for different reasons. Is it possible for someone's body to reject their implants?

William T. Stoeckel, MD · Answer

Most physicians use the term "rejection" to refer to a process in which a transplanted organ, graft, or living body substitute can not survive in a recipient because of an immune response. Breast implants are not living transplant materials and therefore really can not be "rejected" in the sense that the term is typically referring. But patients can develop an overly aggressive response to an implant in which the capsule which develops around the implant becomes too heavy or thickened. This is referred to as a capsular contracture. This can make the implants appear asymmetric, firm or hard, and sometimes painful. Capsular contracture formation is not uncommon and is one of the risks that you must be aware of before proceeding with an augmentation surgery. Be certain to discuss this potential complication in detail with your surgeon before having your surgery.

Josh Olson, MD · Answer

There is no evidence to suggest your body rejects implants. Silicone is an inert material and is used in several different medical devices and is very safe. If an infection were to develop on the implant than it would need to be removed.

John L. Burns Jr., MD · Answer

This question is very common and the answer is theoretically no. Whether saline or silicone, breast implants are made of a silicone cover. Silicone is an inert polymer which is used in virtually all implantable medical devices: IVs, catheters, stents, etc, For something to be rejected by the body, there must be an antibody to recognize the foreign body trigger an immune response. Silicone is not a naturally occurring substance or protein and antibodies cannot bind to or interface with it. A true rejection does not occur with silicone which is why it is so commonly used in medical devices like breast implants.

Brian C. Reuben, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  This is not something that occurs with silicone implants.  Silicone is an inert substance that the body does not "reject".  Some patients will have infections that require implant removal and some patients will have issues with scar tissue formation around an implant, but this is not a "rejection" issue.

Frank J. Ferraro, MD · Answer

Thank you for the question. There is no evidence that breast implants can be rejected by the body. They do not initiate an immune response and will not be affected that way.

Thomas Trevisani, MD · Answer

The term "rejection"- is a biological term and does not apply to implants. However, if a patient has a complication like infection, or severe capsular contracture, prolonged severe pain -for example that will require removal of implants. The implant may require removal for a variety of reasons but technically- it is not a rejection per se, but the result is the same.

Richard J. Brown, MD · Answer

I have never yet seen a patient who has actually
rejected an implant. Patients do get implant infections as well as scar
tissue called capsular contracture around and implant that they may say is a
rejection but it is not. I have never seen a patient have an allergic
reaction and reject a saline or silicone implant. By the way, saline implants
have a silicone shell so all implants are partially silicone.

Ron Hazani, MD, FACS · Answer

The implants are made of inert material. You should not worry about a rejection. Ron Hazani, MD

Christopher Costanzo, MD (retired) · Answer

There seems to be no evidence of rejection of implants, however, implants can become exposed from wound breakdown or infection.  If this is the case, sometimes the implant has to be removed temporarily.

Ronald V. DeMars, MD (Retired) · Answer

The physiologic response of rejection only occurs against living tissue, or fragments of tissue that was living, it does not occur with inert silicone implants. Their safety is well defined after years of research. You are far more likely statistically to be harmed or killed by an automobile. I assume your friends do not use lipstick, which causes a measurable level of silicone in the blood, or ever get a shot, all needles are coated in silicone.

Can my body "reject" implants?

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