If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible. It could be nothing serious or even just an infection that requires antibiotics. But if there is something more serious going on with your breast implant, then it’s vital that you get treated immediately before the rupture gets worse and causes other health problems like infections or even cancer!
In this guide, we review the Symptoms Of A Ruptured Breast Implant, silicone implant rupture side effects, can a ruptured breast implant kill you, and how long can you leave a ruptured silicone implant.
Symptoms Of A Ruptured Breast Implant
If you’ve had breast implants, it’s important to know the signs of a ruptured implant. A rupture can happen if your implant isn’t inserted correctly or if you have an infection that causes inflammation around your breast tissue. There are a few different symptoms that will tell you if something is wrong with your breast implants, including:
One side of the breast is larger.
One side of your breast may be larger than the other. This is because one implant has ruptured, and fluid has leaked out into the surrounding tissue. The resulting swelling can cause unevenness in size, shape and feel.
If you notice this symptom on one side but not both, it’s important to see a doctor right away–you may need surgery to remove any remaining silicone gel from inside your body before it causes further damage or complications.
A tingling or burning sensation in the breast.
If you’re experiencing a tingling or burning sensation in your breast, this could be a sign of infection. If it’s not accompanied by other symptoms such as swelling or redness (which are common with infections), then it may be nerve damage caused by surgery.
If you have a ruptured implant and/or bleeding into the surrounding tissue, this can also cause pain that feels like burning or tingling. This will usually be accompanied by tenderness and swelling around the area where your implant was placed; if there’s no evidence of these things happening–and especially if they’re happening on only one side–then it’s likely something else entirely: blood clots forming under scar tissue are another possible explanation for this kind of discomfort.
Swelling or discoloration under the armpit.
If you notice swelling or discoloration under your armpit, it could be a sign of a ruptured breast implant. Swelling is caused by excess fluid and tissue buildup around the area where your breast implants were placed. Discoloration can also occur due to bruising or bleeding under the skin, which may be caused by trauma or injury like falling on an outstretched arm with no padding between bone and skin (think: running into a wall).
Breast pain.
One of the most common symptoms of a ruptured breast implant is pain. This can be sharp or dull, constant or intermittent and generally located in your breast or armpit area. Pain may also be experienced in your back, arm or shoulder depending on where the implant is ruptured. The severity of pain will depend on how much air has leaked out of your implant and how much tissue has been damaged by infection (inflamed tissues feel more painful).
Deep, constant pain in the breast that is not affected by position or movement.
If you have a ruptured breast implant, deep and constant pain in your breast is likely to be present. The pain may begin suddenly or gradually build over time. It’s important to note that this type of pain isn’t affected by position or movement–it will be present even if you are lying down or sitting up straight with your arms crossed over your chest (the way many people would hold their breasts).
The severity of symptoms can vary from person-to-person but generally speaking:
- Pain can range anywhere from mild soreness to sharp stabbing pains that make it difficult for you to move around normally without experiencing increased discomfort.
- Although rarer than other types of rupture symptoms, some individuals report intense burning sensations when moving their arms above shoulder level as well as shooting pains throughout various parts of their bodies such as their backs or necks when bending forward at waist level while wearing clothes made out of nylon material such as bra straps/ties etcetera..
Inflammation and swelling of the breast that doesn’t affect temperature, color, or texture of the skin.
Swelling and inflammation of the breast can be a sign of an infection, a ruptured implant, or even cancer. Inflammation can also indicate a blood clot in the arm or chest that can cause pain and swelling.
If you notice any type of swelling or inflammation in your breast–even if it doesn’t affect temperature, color or texture of the skin–it’s important to see your doctor as soon as possible so they can determine what’s causing it.
It’s important to know when you should see a doctor if you have had any kind of surgery on your breasts.
It is important to know when you should see a doctor if you have had any kind of surgery on your breasts. A ruptured implant may not be painful and can go unnoticed for months or years. However, it is important to have regular check-ups with your surgeon so that they can monitor the health of your implants and catch any issues early on before they become serious problems that affect your quality of life.
silicone implant rupture side effects
Breast implants are one of most common cosmetic surgeries performed every year. They can make a huge difference in a person’s self-confidence and satisfaction with their looks. However, these procedures carry risks, and anyone interested should take time to consider the possible consequences.
Breast implant ruptures do happen and are serious, but the good news is that they can usually be detected and addressed before they cause any serious complications. If you have questions about what happens when a breast implant ruptures, a board certified plastic surgeon such as Dr. Steele can help guide you through your options.
Why do Breast Implants Rupture?
The implants used for breast augmentation are not designed to last forever. Dr. Steele advises his patients that most women will require a secondary breast implant surgery within 10-20 years after placement of their implants. The FDA recommends periodic screening with MRI to detect silent or occult implant rupture. While uncommon, breast implants may rupture after suffering severe physical trauma like a car accident. The most common reason for implant rupture is a breakdown of the outer silicone shell over time.
Signs of Breast Insert Failure
Saline implants have a silicone outer shell that can puncture and a valve that could fail or cause leakage. It is usually evident when a saline breast implant ruptures because the body quickly absorbs the saltwater. When this happens, the breast will rapidly deflate and become noticeably smaller.
Silicone breast implant ruptures are often harder to detect. Modern silicone implants like gummy bear inserts are highly cohesive and rarely ever breach the scar capsule that surrounds the implant. Symptoms of a ruptured silicone implant develop gradually over time. Examples of common side effects include pain, swelling, or changes in breast shape that may indicate a capsular contracture.
However, some silicone ruptures are referred to as “silent” because they show no symptoms. For this reason, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that people with silicone implants get regularly tested by MRI to screen for occult implant rupture. If a prospective patient wants more information about common signs of breast implant rupture, Dr. Steele can help provide reassurance and answers.
Risks from Implant Breakage
There are no systemic risks with a breast implant rupture. With a saline implant, the body simply absorbs the saline, and the silicone shell stays inside the scar capsule that naturally forms around any foreign device. With a silicone implant rupture, the highly cohesive silicone almost always stays within the capsule. This may cause tightening of the scar capsule which is known as capsular contracture. Typical symptoms include pain, malposition of the implant, firmness of the breast, and a change in breast shape. While rare, extracapsular spread of silicone into the breast tissue may cause palpable nodules in the breast with the possibility of swollen lymph nodes in the axilla/arm pit. It is recommended that the implant and scar capsule be removed (through capsulectomy) with the possibility of placing new implants.
can a ruptured breast implant kill you
Breast implants have been safely enlarging women’s breasts for decades. Breast augmentation surgery allows women to enhance their confidence in their bodies by achieving more proportional and shapelier breasts. While the majority of women with breast implants never experience any complications, breast implants are not without risk. Some of these potential complications are known; others are speculated.
Before you decide to get breast implants, you should understand the risks, read up on breast implant safety, and realize what it means if your implants begin to hurt after the procedure.
How Common Is Capsular Contracture?
Capsular contracture is the most common reason for women with implants to seek out a breast augmentation revision specialist. Capsular contracture happens when the scar tissue around the implant starts to tighten, causing breast implant hardening, chronic pain, and distortion.
Unfortunately, there is no way to relieve or break capsular contracture without breast revision surgery. Capsular contracture treatment involves the complete removal of the implant and scar tissue. While there is no way to prevent capsular contracture, breast implant massages may reduce your risk.
How Hard Is It to Rupture an Implant?
Implant rupture occurs when an implant shell breaks, allowing the saline or silicone contents to potentially spill out into the body. Implant ruptures cause aesthetic complications and pose potential health risks.
Saline ruptures are easily identifiable because the saline is absorbed by the body relatively quickly. This saline is sterile; however, there have been reports of mold developing inside the saline implants. When the implant ruptured, the mold in the saline was also absorbed. It is still unclear what complications this poses long-term.
Silicone ruptures are often silent ruptures. Silicone implants have a thick gel consistency that allows it to maintain its shape and remain in the breast pocket even after a break occurs, at least for some time. If the rupture is discovered early, the damaged implant can often be removed with no problems. Unfortunately, if it is not found, loose silicone can escape into the body and travel toward vital organs, such as the lungs.
Implant ruptures are caused by damage to the implant shell. This can occur after a trauma to the chest (such as a car accident or intense pressure from a breast exam) or can be the result of implant weakening from the initial augmentation. Breast implants are very durable and should not damage; however, rupture does happen on occasion.
Is Breast Implant Illness Real?
Breast implant illness has become a risk even though there is no evidence proving a link between the symptoms and the presence of the implant. This self-diagnosed disease has gained steam over recent years since thousands of women started experiencing the same unexplainable side effects.
Since they all had breast implants, many speculated that the implants must be responsible. This was how the term breast implant illness was started. Breast implant illness symptoms vary; however, they are similar to autoimmune diseases and include headaches, joint pain, muscular pain, anxiety, depression, brain fog, memory loss, and hair loss.
It is believed by some that the silicone in the implant or implant shell causes an autoimmune reaction in the body, and these symptoms are the body’s response to that. As of now, there is no scientific evidence to back that claim.
Do Breast Implants Increase Cancer Risk?
Breast cancer is, unfortunately, an all-to-real fear (and reality) for many women. Some women who have or are interested in getting implants wonder about how it will affect their risk of developing cancer.
Implants do not prevent breast cancer, and patients can still get cancer with implants; however, the implants also do not contribute to it. While silicone does not cause cancer, breast implants, specially textured saline or silicone implants have been linked to cancer of the immune system called breast implant-related anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL).
BIA-ALCL develops in the scar tissue that forms around the implants and is not breast cancer. BIA-ALCL cancer symptoms include lumps, bumps, as well as hard and sore breast implants. This condition is tested through a biopsy of the scar tissue and, when discovered early, is very treatable.
Is Breast Augmentation Safe?
Even with these potential complications, breast augmentation is entirely safe. Many women with implants never experience a complication. Others only have to consider a secondary treatment when their implants reach the end of their life (which can be decades).
For women who have to repair a complication with her implant(s), breast revision surgery makes the process easy, safe, and comfortable.
how long can you leave a ruptured silicone implant
This is a very good question and one I am often asked by patients with an ultrasound report indicating implant rupture. There is no straight answer.
Implant rupture are classified into two types: intracapsular and extracapsular. Intracpasular (IC) rupture means that the implant has ruptured inside a tissue capsule which the body has formed around the implant. So in theory, it is ‘contained’. It is very difficult to diagnose, as the implant often feels normal and the breast itself looks normal. It is most commonly an incidental finding on an ultrasound when it has been ordered for other breast disorders. Ultrasounds in general have a very high false positive rate for IC rupture (i.e. reporting it as IC rupture when in fact it is not ruptured). This is because sometimes there are normal folds in the implant shell which under an ultrasound may mimick the appearance of an IC rupture. To accurately diagnose an IC rupture, an MRI is the most sensitive tool (although the most expensive).
Extracapsular (EC) rupture on the other hand is much more easily and accurately diagnosed with an ultrasound. This is where the silicone has broken through the tissue capsule that the body has formed around the implant. This can be associated with palpable lumps or irregularities around the implant; sometimes specific pain or discomfort at a particular site of the breast. It could also be, like IC ruptures, completely asymptomatic.
What happens if you leave the ruptured implants in? An IC rupture will eventually become an EC rupture. When EC rupture occurs, the silicone will either seep into the breast tissue or overlying/underlying muscle. Eventually, a few things may occur: they can become walled off by scar tissue (your body’s reaction to foreign material) to form ‘silicomas’; the implant may become very hard as capsular contracture develops in an attempt to prevent further leakage; they can also infiltrate through the muscle/breast tissue and in some, work their way into the skin and break through as an open sore which leaks sticky silicone gel. This open sore can become a track for infection to the underlying implant. This is often a very late stage, and can be seen in patients who has had radiotherapy to their chest wall for breast cancer.
The most concerning thing about leaking silicone from an implant rupture is that it may affect breast screening for breast cancers. Silicone deposits in breast tissue look like opaque white irregular lumps on mammograms and sometimes may hide underlying breast cancers. Mammograms itself (as it compresses the breast) may also worsen the rupture of the implant sometimes making an IC rupture into an EC rupture due to the amount of force applied to the implant, especially in women whose implants are above the muscle.
Silicone itself is one of the most inert material on Earth. There has been no evidence that silicone from a ruptured implant causes cancer, autoimmune diseases or systemic problems. Thus, yes, theoretically, one can leave it there, but the breasts will become harder and lumpier (due to formation of silicomas) and breast screening would become less effective considering the risk of breast cancer in 1 in 8 women.
Technically, an implant with IC rupture is much easier to remove and there is a greater chance of removing the majority (if not all) of the silicone. However, the speed at which an IC rupture progresses to an EC rupture is not at all predictable (especially when one considers that the IC rupture may have been present undetected for a long time already). Removing an implant with EC rupture can be tricky and most of the time, not all silicone material will be removed, especially those that have widely infiltrated into the chest wall or breast tissue. However, serial mammograms (after implant removal) can often differentiate between silicomas and breast cancers as the breast patterns are compared at each screening.
So, my recommended advice is, the best time to have them removed is when IC rupture is diagnosed. However, there is no significant urgency associated with this procedure. Often there is time for one to think about her options and the timing of her procedure around other life commitments.