Feel Like One Of My Saline Implants Is Slowly Leaking, How Can I Tell For Sure?

Saline breast implants can have different types of leaks. If there is an implant rupture (or hole in the shell of the implant), the leak is usually quick and obvious, and the breast appears deflated as the body resorbs the fluid. Less commonly, the implant can leak due to a valve malfunction.  If so, the leak may be a slow leak as it can leak on and off depending on the amount of pressure and whether or not the valve is seated in place. (Saline implants are filled through a valve that is securely closed upon removing the tube used to fill the implant. In some cases the valve can become incompetent over time and lead to a slow leak.) Typically the easiest way to tell if there is a leak is by physical exam. Imaging studies are not usually needed for saline implant leaks, but are an option if it is unclear. Regardless of whether there is a leak or not, if you feel you have developed asymmetry compared to before, you may need another operation to restore symmetry. Changes over time can be due to many things, some implant related, and some simply age related.

Physical examination of your breasts as well as a history of sudden change in size or shape of the breasts will confirm that the breast implant is leaking. Generally, the breasts will feel softer and you may feel more irregularity and/or rippling of the implant itself (than before the deflation).

It may be that during your examination your surgeon was unsure of the answer to question–sometimes if there is a leakage of an implant it will undergo the changes described above over time.

Best wishes.

While rare, they do occur and in my experience it comes from an incompetent valve that loses volume when the implant is full and pressure in the implant is high, and then stops leaking when enough saline is gone to lower the pressure in the implant and it starts holding again. And I have seen capsules stretch where the implant feels really loose, like its losing saline, but not. In both of these cases, unfortunately, you usually have to operate to tell! Pinholes usually go flat fast!