What are the dangers of migrating silicone from leaking Mentor Silicone Gel Implants?

This is a question that comes up often and there a is lot of poor information out there.  The newer silicone implants (memory gel) which have been out for several years is a very good implant but no implant will last forever.  If the memory gel shell does wear out the silicone will almost always stay in the capsule of scar tissue around the implant. It will rarely migrate into the tissues and cause problems and I have recommended that they be replaced if they are broken.  The silicone used is more cohesive and less likely to migrate than the older implants when broken.  The only way tell if the implant is ruptured is to have an MRI which can be expensive.  The ruptured implants that I have removed have all been contained the scar tissue and were easily removed.  In addition there is no evidence that implants, saline or silicone, cause any heath problems.

The answer to your question depends on the age of the implants. The older liquid silicone implants were more of a problem when they leaked. Most of these problems were within the breasts itself. These problems included hardness, pain, or lumps. The newer implants are filled with  cohesive gel.  this tends to stay together and not cause much problems. However it sounds like you have ruptured silicone implants, my advice would be to get them replaced.Eric Weiss MD

Before answering the question we would need to know how old the implants are and whether or not they are the cohesive gel implants.  Either was the risk of problem from a leaking implant migrating is small and is more of a local tissue problem within the breast.  See a board certified plastic surgeon to determine what you need before anything else.

The real issue is that it sounds like your implants are broken (i.e. ruptured) and should be replaced. Depending upon the age of the implants, Mentor will at least replace the implants. They may even contribute towards your surgery.

As far as we know, silicone in biologically inert and has not been linked to disease or cancer.  Migrating silicone can cause small lumps.  These lumps usually appear in the lateral part of the breast heading up toward the underarm area (which is where the lymph nodes are located).

If the implants are of the modern gel variety there is very little risk.  If the implants are hard then capsules may need to be released.  The gel itself does not migrate to any significant degree, so the risk is minimal.  If the implants have ruptured (rare, but possible) a simple removal (or exchange) is all that is needed.  In questionable cases an MRI study can help.