Breast Implant Rupture

Saline and silicone breast implants have an outer silicone shell that can potentially develop a tear or hole called a rupture. Saline implants also have a valve that can fail, causing a leak. 

Breast implant ruptures happen for a variety of reasons. The longer you have saline or silicone implants, the greater the risk of rupture or leaks. Saline and silicone implants can also rupture because of trauma — anything from a car accident to a needle insertion during a biopsy. But damage by surgical instruments during breast implant surgery is still the most common cause of silicone implant rupture, affecting 51% to 64% of cases. ^1 2

When a saline implant ruptures or its valve fails, the saline leaks out quickly — typically taking a few days — and the breast appears somewhat deflated, so you know immediately that it’s ruptured. The saltwater is absorbed by the body.

When a silicone implant ruptures, the gel leaks out slowly because it’s thick. Silicone gel is not absorbed into the body.

Signs that your silicone implant has ruptured can include changes in breast shape and size, and increasing pain, firmness, and swelling over a period of weeks. Rupture can also cause capsular contracture. 

You might not realize that your implant has ruptured for a while, if at all. Silicone implant rupture that doesn’t cause any noticeable symptoms is called silent rupture.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that people with silicone breast implants receive breast MRI screening for silent rupture three years after having breast implant reconstruction surgery and every two years after that. Getting health insurance to cover breast MRIs for this reason can be challenging. See if your doctor’s office can help.

If you think your implant has ruptured, have your plastic surgeon check it as soon as possible. An ultrasound or MRI is typically the best way to see whether an implant is leaking.

If a breast implant ruptures, regardless of whether it’s saline or silicone, it should be removed, as long as you are healthy enough for surgery. In some cases, plastic surgeons also remove the capsule of normal scar tissue that forms around the implant or cut open the capsule by making small incisions. 

If it’s not safe for you to have surgery right away, your surgeon may recommend leaving the ruptured saline implant in place until you are ready for surgery again. 

Ruptured silicone implants have greater health risks and should be removed without delay, if possible. If you have implants in both breasts and only one of them ruptures, your plastic surgeon may recommend removing both of them. If you have a silicone implant that has leaked beyond the capsule, your plastic surgeon tries to remove as much of the silicone gel as possible.

Usually, if you want new implants, your surgeon can insert them during the same surgery. In some cases, your surgeon may recommend that you switch to a different type of implant. 

You might also consider flap reconstruction because there is no risk of rupture. Other complications that can develop with breast implants are also not an issue. However, flap reconstruction is a more complex, time-consuming surgery and has a longer recovery time.

 

Join the discussion

Breast Reconstruction forum