How Much Heat Can a Breast Implant Be Subjected to Before Exploding?

Hello! Thank you for your question!  This should not be an issue, but more for your scar result. After any surgical procedure, you should be careful with incisions as well as avoidance of direct UVA and UVB rays in order to lessen the chance for hyperpigmentation of the skin and scars, which can take several months to resolve, if it ever does. Sunblock is recommended regardless. The ability of the affected area to heal has been slowed and you should try to avoid additional swelling to the area. The area will likely be numb for several weeks to months and will be difficult to feel when sunburn is coming on. Typical recommendations include wearing a hat and/or sunblock to the affected area for at least 6-12 weeks following the procedure. It takes up to one year for scars to fully mature. You should also avoid trauma to the area for several months to protect the refinements made during the procedure. Also, avoidance of pools/lakes/jacuzzis/etc for 4-6 weeks is usually recommended to allow adequate healing and protection from stagnant water, that could potentially harbor bacteria. Lifting/exercise restrictions are common for at least 7 weeks. Certainly discuss the postoperative instructions with your surgeon, as thoughts differ among surgeons. Hope that this helps! Best wishes!

I think that Dr. Eppley gave a very nice scientific explanation of the heat tolerance of implants.  From a practical standpoint, you don't have to worry.  Saline implants would burst when the water in them boils which would be at least 212 degrees F.  Silicone has an even higher melting temperature.  The bottom line is that the implants can withstand much higher temperatures than your body can.  By comparison, an INTERNAL body temperature above about 104 degrees is dangerous and requires medical attention.  

Thank you for the interesting question.

Unless you are planning on space travel very close to the sun,  I don't think you need to worry about your implants “exploding” secondary to heat exposure.

Best wishes.

This is an interesting biomaterials question but is clinically irrelevant from a living patient standpoint. (it is, however, very relevant if you are an undertaker or run a funeral home in regards to cremation!) The degradation temperature of a breast implant is a function of two factors; the melt temperature of its surrounding polymer shell and the heat expansion/burst temperature of the filler material. The melt temperature of the polymer shell well exceeds 270 degrees F which is well known as breast implants can be autoclaved without any change in its form. (including a deflated saline implant and an intact silicone implant) I believe it is closer to 320 degrees F but don't quote me on that exact number. The saline filler material boils at 212 degrees F and this will cause the implant to explode due to the heat expansion of the fluid. Silicone gel requires much higher temperatures which are near the shell temperatures of 320 degrees F plus. You can start to see the expansion of the silicone gel material in an autoclaved (270 degree F) implant with the creation of internal bubbles.

I would like to know why you ask this question. Both saline and silicone implants can tolerate extrem temperatures that your body can not tolerate. Do not try to find out the exact temperature.

That is an interesting question.  The implants are pretty inert and can withstand temperature fluctuations that are normally found in the body and in the outside world. I am guessing that if you threw one in a fire it would melt.

Breast implants can be subjected to much more heat than the body can withstand before they will be damaged. They are made to be reliable and durable well beyond the extremes of physiologic temperatures.  

The amount of heat your body can safely tolerate will not affect the implant.  I would be cautious about sunburn on your skin especially if there is some partial numbness postop.  Be careful on your sun exposure.  I hope this info helps.

What an odd question.  You could not generate enough body heat to explode your implants unless you fell victim to spontaneous human combustion in which case we would be reading about you in the National Enquirer.   If you are a woman of a certain age and  are experiencing hot flashes, I feel your heat.  It just feels like all of you is ready to explode or melt down, not just the implants.   Thank heavens for HRT and ice tea.

Lisa Lynn Sowder, M.D.

I would like to add that if an implant were stabbed or shot it would lose its integrity. Explode is not a word that really pertains to an implant having difficulties.