How Long Can You Safely Leave a Leaking Saline Breast Implant In?

There is no exact time limit but I like to remove them within one month or two before capsular contraction of the pocket becomes worse.

Hello. The implant was created to be left in the body therefore the implant itself will not cause any problems and neither will the leaking saline. That being said it would be best to replace your implants as soon as possible to avoid complications pertaining to the pocket. With time the implant pocket will scar and close making replacement surgery more difficult.

Jaime Perez, MD
Breast Augmentation Specialist
Plastic Surgery Center of Tampa

 There is no harm to your body  leaving the implant in place. The saltwater in the implant will be absorbed by your body with no ill effect. The implant itself will not cause any additional reaction. However the capsule around the implant will contract over time and the space will need to be revised  with placement of the new implant. If you have the implant replaced immediately, then  the new implant can be placed in the old pocket without much manipulation. This will result in a speedier recovery.

I have had patients come to me with a deflated saline implants that happened years ago and wish to address the problem now.  Although it is desirous to have the surgery to correct the deflated implant to restore symmetry and balance, the truth is that is not always medically necessary to have the surgery done immediately.  Keep in mind that if a saline implant breaks, all that leaks out is saltwater.  The saltwater is harmlessly absorbed into the body.  On occasions, the breast may rapidly change shape as the fluid leaks out.  In this instance, the folds of the implants may put unnecessary pressure on the skin and thereby causing skin breakdown.  It is important to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon to assess individual concerns.  

There is no set time to remove the leaking saline implant.  The saline (salt water) would be resorbed by your body with issues and as long as the implant does not become infected you do have the luxury of time.  Having said all of this it is advised to get this issue address as soon as possible to avoid any problems.

Dr.ES

Technically, you could leave the implant in for the rest of your life.  It is not dangerous to you.  The saline should be sterile and would be absorbed by your body.  Then, instead of an inflated implant, you would simply have a deflated implant.  The implant itself is the same so it presents no more risk to you than it did when it was full.

   In general, the saline leaking is not going to cause issues as your body will likely absorb this, and saline is a relatively innocuous substance.  However, the longer you have an empty shell in your body the more involved the surgery will be to replace the implant.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Best is to replace the implant promptly. If not, the pocket will begin to shrink, and what would be a simple procedure as in back to work the next day, will become more complex, requiring addition manipulation of the pocket, and more chance of less than good symmetry.

Other than that, there is no harm in delaying for most people. However, if the deflated implant has firm folds, the implant may be uncomfortable, and may injure the breast skin if you lie on the implants. 

All the best. 

It is not a good idea to delay surgery after a leak in saline implant starts to cause deflation of implant.  Deflation leads to collapse of breast pocket which then starts to scar down and close.  This makes replacement surgery more difficult and could cause asymmetry.  Deflated implant also creates harsh implant shell folds.  These folds have a potential to errode through muscle and skin.

There is nothing to be gained from delaying surgery.  Have it done as soon as possible.

There is not set time to remove a saline implant that is ruptured. But, I think it is better to do it sooner than later so that the pocket does not shrink down.