Is It Safe to Leave Silicone in the Breast Tissue After Removal of 25 Year Old Implants?

There have been no studies showing that this situation will be harmful to you.  However, the FDA is recommending removal of silicone implants at this time as a precaution.

Having removed many old ruptured silicone implants I can attest that very small amounts of silicone are often left behind in spite of my best efforts to remove every last bit.

I have yet to see a patient return with problems, granulomas or otherwise and they are always thankful to have new, usually more aesthetically pleasing implants which are soft.

Often ruptures, which extend outside the natural scar layer which forms around the implant (extracapsular) are associated with hardening of the implants (capsular contracture) and this problem is solved at the same time.

There is no harm to your overall system from this tiny amount of silicone.  Of course, if you look on the Internet long enough you will find an uninformed or clearly biased web site that claims they will make you sick.  Steer clear of these since their rants are not scientifically based and usually just unsubstantiated assumptions (or worse someone trying to profit by inspiring fear).

It is very typical after silicone gel implants have been in place for many years, and especially after attempts at a 'closed' capsulotomy, so common used to soften gel implants in the past, that there is some leakage of the silicone gel into the breast tissue. It can be very difficult to remove and will cause no health risks if left behind. Small silicone cysts can remain without much harm.

Best of luck,

peterejohnsonmd