Can a Seat Belt Cause Breast - Saline Implant to Swell?

Question

In minor automobile accident - hit from behind - seat belt tightened on lft breast causing soreness. Breast began to swell - massaging caused mild pain. Breast is becoming very hard implant is 10 years old, could the automobile accident have caused this?

Sugene Kim, MD, FACS · Answer

Your accident may have caused tissue swelling, bleeding, or capsular contracture. Unless you have expanding hematoma, this it not emergent. However, you should visit with a plastic surgeon to be evaluated.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

It is certainly possible that a seat belt caused an implant problem.  It is best to go for evaluation with your surgeon.

Bernabe Vazquez, MD · Answer

This is an all too common situation that I have seen on various patients over the years. Yes, a seat belt can damage an implant, cause bleeding and possibly a capsular contracture which requires surgery.Unless you have a rapidly expanding swelling associated with bruising and pain however,there is probably no urgency and you can make your appointment with your doctor electively. Depending on the severity of the symptoms when you see your doctor, he/she may advise to treat the problem conservatively or reccommend surgery which most likely will be a capsulotomy and possible implant exchange.

Robert L. Kraft, MD, FACS · Answer

The trauma of impact in a car accident can affect the implant and cause a capsular contracture or implant rupture.  You should see your plastic surgeon for followup and he will be able to determine whether further diagnostic tests are warranted.  I, too, have seen several instances of this over the years.

Peter E. Johnson, MD · Answer

With enough force, and perhaps a older breast implant, it is possible to have bleeding, or an implant ruture with a resulting capsular contracture. Your should see you surgeon for an exam, and an ultrasound or MRI of the breast might be needed to sort things out.

Leonard T. Yu, MD · Answer

Have also seen two patients with very similar histories...probably intracapsular hematoma followed by capsular contracture that ultimately required surgery. This is difficult to prove, but seems likely cause due to sequence of events.

Jourdan Gottlieb, MD · Answer

Suzie--

	Over the years I have seen two patients with the similar history. One developed a capsular contracture and a breast that had previously been soft. He either had a modest size hematoma within the capsule the forearm the surrounding implant. Although both of these required surgery they both resolved with a good long-term outcome.

	Please see her plastic surgery for proper evaluation. Best wishes

Karol A. Gutowski, MD, FACS · Answer

Without a physical examination, it is difficult to determine what is going on. You may have injured the breast tissue which is now swollen or the breast implant pocket may have filled with blood or fluid. In either case, if this has not resolved, you should see your plastic surgeon to evaluate this further. It may also be possible that you developed capsular contracture on that side.

Can a Seat Belt Cause Breast - Saline Implant to Swell?

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