Breast Implant Rupture and Leakage Concerns

Aug 8
08:27

2011

Jonathan Castrie

Jonathan Castrie

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

When considering breast augmentation surgery, the number one concern for women should be the potential for implant rupture and leakage. While aesthetic improvement is the primary concern for most women, they should take into consideration the rupture potential for each type of implant.

mediaimage
In the early 90s,Breast Implant Rupture and Leakage Concerns Articles the FDA banned the silicone gel breast implant from being used in breast augmentation surgery. The motivation for the ban: implant rupture and subsequent leakage of liquid silicone into the human body. The health risks associated with liquid silicone leaking into the body were sensationalized to epic proportions during the early 90s which resulted in the FDA banning the implant and several of the implant's manufacturers to file bankruptcy as a direct result of thousands of lawsuits. The ban lasted for 14 years; in 2006, the FDA approved the implant once again for widespread, unrestricted use within the United States. 
During that ban, the saline implant device enjoyed an unexpected monopoly. Saline implant manufacturers made exceptional profits during those 14 years. However, as with all good things, the end of the saline implant's monopoly ended when the FDA finally approved the silicone device for use once again. Not surprisingly, the silicone device's popularity gained quite rapidly with the FDA's stamp of approval and soon the saline device was a distant second choice for American women once again. 
The saline device is the safest implant device currently available. That fact is due to the device's filler: saline solution. The filler is basically a harmless, saltwater mix that presents virtually zero health risk to the human body should the implant rupture and leak. Additionally, when the implant ruptures, the thin texture of the saline solution will allow it to escape the implant quite rapidly, allowing for almost immediate visible detection of the deflated implant. Those two characteristics are unique to the saline device. 
The chief benefit of silicone gel devices is that they mimic real breast tissue exceptionally well. Unfortunately, that filler - the liquid silicone - is at the center of the implant's health controversy. The liquid silicone is associated with a variety of health complications; should the implant rupture and leak its filler into the body, it's generally believed the liquid silicone will become the potential catalyst for a variety of health problems. 
During the late 90s, the FDA conducted a study on the long-term effects of silicone gel implants. The results of the study were startling to say the least. They deduced that better than 60% of implants over ten years of age had already experienced silent rupture and had been leaking liquid silicone gel into the woman's body. While the data collected on the implants is accurate, it should be noted that implant designs and safeguards have improved considerably since then; implant rupture and the filler's subsequent leakage is now more uncommon than ever in the history of breast augmentation. If you'd like to read the report, you can download it for free from the FDA's website. 
If the leakage of implant filler presents the greatest threat to a woman, then wouldn't a liquid-free implant be the greatest invention since sliced bread? Well, such an implant has been invented and it's called the cohesive gel implant device. This new device does not contain liquid filler. Rather, it is a solid-state form of silicone gel that maintains its shape even if stabbed or sliced with a knife. The cohesive gel implant does not leak liquid when it's ruptured because it does not contain liquid filler to begin with!
While improving the aesthetic appearance of your breasts is the ideal goal with breast augmentation surgery, you should consider the long-term, potential negative effects with your breast implants. A ruptured silicone gel implant can pose considerable health risk to your body should it leak its filler. You should consult with several board certified breast augmentation surgeons to learn more about each type of implant and their respective pros and cons before making your final decision about which type of implant you'll have for your surgery.