Can I get sick from saline implant rupture? They are 24 y/o. How long can I go before getting them removed without complication?

Hi Sharon,No cause for alarm.  As you read below, the salt water is harmless.  I have had patients put off replacement, or just removal for years.  If you be
sure to see only a board certified plastic surgeon (by ABPS - The American
Board of Plastic Surgery) who is a member of ASAPS (The American Society for
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) and or a member of ASPS (The American Society of
Plastic Surgeons), you will be in the right office for treatment. All the best, "Dr. Joe"

The saltwater should be absorbed by your body, and should not cause any problems. It's best to replace a ruptured saline implant within the first month after the rupture. If you wait longer, the overlying skin and the capsule around the implant will begin to shrink. It becomes more difficult to perform the surgery and to get good symmetry when the implant has been ruptured for a long time. If you would like your implants removed, then it's best to have that performed in the next several months.

. When the saline implant rupturesThe fluid passes through the capsule surrounding the breast implant and is discharge from the body. The implant can be replaced at your convenience.

It is very unlike that you sayImplants will make you sick if they ruptured. The saline will be soaked up by your body and removed. I would recommend getting these implants out within the next month or two.   

Saline implant rupture rates increase with implant age. I have seen some that lasted 30 years. When saline implants leak, your breast volume will diminish, but there is no health risk associated with leakage. Some women do feel the implant rubbing against their tissue, but the saline is just absorbed by your tissues and your breast goes flat. If you are not having other problems with them, you don't have to change them until they leak.

First: Relax, you are going to be fine. There is no harm from the saline leaking. There is no harm in delaying implant removal. The only down side to waiting a long period of time would be if you wanted to place a new implant back in and your capsule around the implant has had time to shrink down a bit. However, that would take a long time AND you have indicated that you want to get both implants out permanently. This is not uncommon. You can wait as long as you like for implant removal surgery. Good luck.

There is no reason to believe that any breast implant, silicone or saline, will make you sick.  Saline itself is just salt water, and since you are made up of about 60% (salt) water, saline itself, absorbed from breast implants in the quantities found in breast implants, certainly cannot be a problem.Of course, it is possible that there was something other than saline put into your breast implants.  24 years ago, it was not unheard of for surgeons to put other substances, including antibiotics, betadine prep solution, and steroids, into saline breast implants for various purposes.  There was even one surgeon in the Phoenix area who put a completely different material into the implants to change the way they would feel.  Of course, that surgeon has not been in practice for a long time.It might be conceivable that one of those substances could cause a problem (for example, allergic reaction to an antibiotic or the breakdown products from the antibiotic.)  However, my uninformed guess would be that if you were going to have a problem from one of those substances, you would already have had it.There is not usually a big problem with leaving a deflated saline implant in place for months or even a couple of years, but I while it is probably not an emergency, I would not recommend that you wait that long.  Even if you are not going to have the implants removed or replaced very soon, it would be worthwhile to talk with a surgeon Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery to get information that would apply to your specific situation.Good luck!

The saline will simply be absorbed and is not a medical risk.  There is no time period for removal of a implant.  If you do not want it replaced then this can be done under local anesthesia. 

Ruptured saline implants will not jeopardize your health.  I would recommend you have this addressed soon especially if you are seeking new implants.  If you wait a long period of time, the skin can start contracting a bit which can create asymmetries after revisional breast augmentation.

After a deflation of a saline (salt water) filled implant breaks, the salt water is harmlessly absorbed by the body. Removal of a deflated saline shell is generally a straight forward procedure and can be performed by any Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Leaving a deflated implant in for a prolong period of time, generally does not make the surgery more complicated and has no immediate risk to your health. However it is recommended to eventually have the deflated device removed.