Breast Implant Ruptures And Leaks: Problems And Treatments

If a lady has had breast augmentation surgery, there is a small chance that her implants may rupture or leak at some point in the future. Although the risks of this happening are small, read this article to learn more about the symptoms and cures of this condition.

Symptoms

Often implant ruptures have no symptoms at all, but can present with misshapen breast, lumps, pain, capsule formation, or swelling of the lymph nodes, as the leaking silicone gets collected by the lymph nodes in the armpits as it escapes from the pocket under the breast.

Investigations

Like any other lady with misshapen breasts or lumps in the breast or armpit, you should be assessed by a doctor who is skilled in breast assessment, usually a breast surgeon, who can tell whether you have a problem with your breast, or with your implants.

Many doctors automatically send patients with suspected implant ruptures for MRI scans. In our view, this is usually an unnecessary expense, as an ultrasound is cheaper ( £200.00 vs £600.00 for MRI) and, in skilled hands, can usually diagnose a disrupted or ruptured implant.

Side Effects of Ruptured Implants

Women with ruptured implants can:

1) Have no symptoms

2) Feel lumpiness, as silicone deposits in the capsule which the body has formed around the implant (siliconomas)

3) Feel pain due to (2)

4) Notice misshapen or shrinking breast, or notice the implant and breast moves differently as it loses its elasticity with a disrupted shell.

5) Lumps in the armpit (axillary silicone granulomas)

What to do if your implants rupture?

1) Nothing - implants which have ruptured within the capsule which the body has formed around them (intra-capsular rupture) do not necessarily need changing. However, most women are unhappy to leave leaking silicone within their body, and end up having them removed.

2) Extracapular rupture - silicone can spread all around the body from a ruptured implant. There is no evidence that this silicone causes any harm, but, nonetheless, most people would recommend at least removal of the implant, and most women will have them replaced at the same time.

For many years there have been suggestions that silicone might increase the rate of autoimmune rheumatological disorders. After an extensive review of current evidence, the FDA in the USA reintroduced the license for using silicon in breast implants, and the Department of Health in the UK confirms their belief that silicone implants pose no risk to health.

Important information from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

Evidence that dates back to the 1950's shows that silicone within the tissues can be transported all around the body, and can deposit itself in many other organs including the brain, liver, spleen and uterus; there is, however, no evidence that it does any harm when it does deposit in these places.

Cost of Removal / Replacement

Removing ruptured implants can sometimes be provided by the NHS, as there is a potential that this might cause ill health.

However, replacing implants can no longer be funded within the NHS, so ladies requiring removal and replacement often have to fund the surgery themselves in the private sector.