Can silicone implants burst when squeezed to hard?

Our own bodies give out with time as does our cars and just about everything else in life and so is the case for implants. For silicone implants prior to 2006, ruptures occur at rates of approximately 1-2% per year for the first ten years then markedly increases after that time period. Implants are designed to take a lot of compressive forces like hard squeezing, but if the implants are more than a decade this may of course be a contributing factor.  A rupture or deflation of the implant may be experienced at any point after the initial augmentation; this complication may be increased by an under-filling or overfilling of saline solution into the implant, excessive compression, trauma, and other causes. (If the implant shell if not filled with the correct amount of saline, there may be a crease or fold in the shell which often leads to a rupture). You will be able to self-diagnose the need for an implant exchange (if using a saline implant) because if the current implant ruptures, the breast will shrink to approximately its preoperative size. A silicone implant that has a rupture is usually noted on a routine mammogram or MRI scan. In either case although the situation needs to be corrected on a timely basis, it is not dangerous to your health from our current knowledge base. Silicone implants after 2006 are more cohesive and less likely to leak or have silicone migration.

Implants are made of a durable silicone shell that can withstand tons and tons of pressure. Simply squeezing them with your hand will probably not rupture the implant - you'll do more harm to your breast tissues than the implant itself.  

Rupture of a silicone implant  - be it a crack in the shell and freeing of material into and within the body's scar capsule that surrounds the implant (intracapsular rupture) can occur with extreme force. The newer cohesive silicone implant of the last decade are cohesive don't allow flow and spread material - unlike older less cohesive silicone implants. Rarely now days though do we see rupture from these newer cohesive implants that gets into the the surrounding breast tissue and outside the body's scar capsule (extracapsular rupture). The new high strength shaped silicone implants "gummy bears"  essentially take the rupture out of rupture. Even if these implants were to have a crack or shell failure, the material is highly stable and does not separate. The FDA still recommends imaging at regular intervals to rule out rupture - however, I  tell my patients if you have a normal exam and normal imaging that there is no reason to reoperate  unless there are sizing , shape or hardness issues. I don't care if they are 10 or 20 years old - especially with the new form stable implants. 

Thank you for your question.  Implants have a very durable shell.  While it may be possible rupture an implant by squeezing it is extremely difficult even when not implanted.  For 15 years or so after the implants have be placed it would be nearly impossible to rupture the implants from squeezing accidentally or even intentionally trying to rupture the implant.  However gradually the shell will begin to wear out and it is possible for the implant rupture from squeezing or just failure from wear and tear but this will likely be 20 plus years.  If you have concerns of an implant rupture see your plastic surgeon to discuss how to evaluate for rupture.   Implants are not lifetime devices although you will likely get 20 plus years out the implants you will likely need another operation at some point unless your life expectancy is less than 20 years.  Jeffrey Thaxton, MD FACSCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Good question! Many patients wonder about the safety of the silicone gel implants.  These implants are FDA approved and are definitely durable devices.  Simply squeezing too hard shouldn't cause your implants to rupture unless your implant is already compromised.  Typically it takes much more than that to rupture a silicone gel implant.  These are not life long devices and most patients have more than one breast procedure in their lifetime.  If you start to notice changes in your breast shape or experience pain, go see your surgeon for a follow up appointment and go from there.  ac

Thank you for the question.The implants can definitely rupture if they're involved in any accidental squeeze... if this happens, they can leak if the silicone is not cohesive gel, contact your PS as soon as possible.Dr. Campos

Thank you for your question.  Of course anything is possible, however simple squeezing of breasts with implants should not rupture the implant.  Typically significant trauma such as an automobile accident, or high diving with a "belly flop" has been associated with rupture of silicone breast implant.

Thank you for your question. A simple answer is it takes a great deal of force to rupture a silicone implant, and rupture as a result of direct force is rarely seen. It is more likely that the cause of a break in the outer shell is long term wear and tear. If there were to be a break in the shell, it is rare for the material to migrate outside the capsule the body forms around the implant. As far as replacing them, unless there is a complication or cosmetic dissatisfaction there is no reason to exchange your breast implants. I hope this helps.

The answer to your question" Can silicone implants burst when squeezed too hard?" is yes. If you take a silicone implant and squeeze it too hard it will certainly fracture the shell of the implant and silicone, with continued pressure, will flow out of the site of the fracture. You need to place this in the proper perspective however. I have a patient who was skiing and hit a tree.The patient had implants.She broke two ribs and ruptured her spleen.The implants were fine. What someone in capable of doing on a side table does not necessarily have realistic clinical implications for patients.