Breast Implant Rupture

Breast implants will not last forever. One can expect a breast implant to last anywhere from ten to fifteen years, at which point the person will either need to have them removed completely, or replaced with a new breast implant. A woman may experience a breast implant rupture in the first few months after her augmentation procedure, while some may experience this many years later. Below is a photo of a woman's breasts after experiencing a breast implant rupture.

When silicone breast implants rupture, the patient may notice smaller breast size, breast asymmetry, pain, swelling, tingling, or other changes in the breast. The majority of cosmetic surgeons will recommend a breast implant removal procedure if it has ruptured, even if the silicone is still enclosed within the scar tissue capsule, because the silicone has the potential to leak into surrounding tissue areas. When saline breast implants rupture, the saline solution leaks either through a valve or through a break in the implant shell. Breast implant ruptures can happen immediately or progress over a period of time and is noticed by loss of size or shape of the implant.

The reasons for a breast implant rupture are not completely understood and are currently being studied. Some possible causes for implant ruptures include:

A breast implant rupture is a concern because it may allow silicone to migrate through the tissues. The relationship of free silicone to development or progression of disease is unknown. In addition, a rupture is a device failure, which means the implant is no longer performing as intended.

These surgical procedures are not recommended for saline breast implants because they are known to cause implant ruptures: