Deflation

While saline-filled breast implants exude only salt water when they rupture, the health effects of the presence of extracapsular silicone and hydrogel gel in the body remain controversial. Nevertheless, according to a study cited by the American Journal of Roentgenology, the numbers of percentages of breast implant ruptures are great, and the chances of them occurring obtrusively are even greater (Prevalence of Rupture of Silicone Gel Implants Revealed on MR Imaging in a Population of Women in Birmingham, Alabama, 2000). This result is worrisome viewing that not all the health risks of implants’ substances in the body have been identified.

From the 344 women who participated in this study, about 236 of them had prevalence of rupture by the standard criterion, and about 8.4% of the original number made up ‘indeterminate’ grading—ruptures in double lumen implants that are often not easily identifiable. I will talk more about double lumen and single lumen implants later on. The reasons for those ruptures were reported being caused by normal aging of the implant, stresses such as trauma or intense physical pressure, capsular contracture, and other postoperative complications. This study only proves that breast implants are not lifetime devices; hence, ruptures can befall at any time and reoperations must be performed.

Also, ruptures in saline-filled breast implants are often easy to tell for they lose its original size and shape—they deflate, and the saline solution immediately leaks into the body. Most of the ‘indeterminate’ grading rupture, also known as ‘silent rupture’, occurs on silicone-gel filled breast implants. As I mentioned before, they aren’t easy to detect; thus, a MRI is recommended at least every three years after the procedure. Symptoms such as burning, pain, lumps, and swelling surrounding the implant or in the armpit may also occur.