Breast Implants - Rupture And Leakage

A ruptured implant is a very real concern for any woman considering breast augmentation surgery. Although both silicone and saline breast implants are FDA approved for unrestricted use, it doesn't necessarily mean they are 100% safe. Between silicone and saline implants, saline is considered the safer of the two. Unknown to most people, there is a third style of implant on the U.S. market. Its nickname is the Gummy Bear breast implant. Its more formal name is "cohesive gel implants".

There are a variety of reasons an implant might rupture and begin leaking its filler into a woman's body.

During the initial breast augmentation surgery, sometimes an implant is unknowingly damaged during the procedure. It might leak right away or it could take a few weeks. Obviously, the leaking implant will need to be replaced as soon as possible. But more often than not, detection is difficult if it is a silicone gel implant. A ruptured saline implant is much easier to detect, even if it ruptures immediately following the breast augmentation surgery.

Another situation where an implant could get ruptured is when a woman experiences some form of trauma to her chest region. This could happen in an automobile accident or even while she is playing a physically demanding sport such as soccer. Even a minor, direct blow to the chest could rupture one or both of her implants.

A ruptured silicone gel implant is virtually impossible to detect. Unless, of course, an MRI is used to scan the implants. Only an MRI can provide a reliable scan of a breast implant. Visual detection is extremely difficult, even for a breast augmentation surgeon. When a silicone gel implant ruptures and begins leaking gel into a woman's body, more often than not the implant rupture is not detected for one or more years. This is because the gel is a slow moving liquid – the leakage is minimal. Until the implant deflates enough to where it becomes visibly smaller, the ruptured implant will remain undetected.

Saline implants on the other hand are very easy to detect. When a saline implant ruptures, it begins to leak saline solution into the woman's body. This solution is a saltwater mix that is harmless to the human body. Because the fluid is simply water, it will leak in rapid fashion and the implant will be noticeably smaller, usually within 24 to 48 hours. This allows a woman to visibly detect her own implant rupture and contact her breast augmentation surgeon right away to discuss corrective options.

Cohesive gel implants appear to be highly resistance to rupture and leakage. This is mostly due to the fact that cohesive gel implants are made with a solid mass of gel. Even if you slice one open with a knife, it won't leak any liquid because there is no liquid to leak! The FDA is still scrutinizing this implant for safety concerns and it may be several more years before cohesive gel implants are approved for unrestricted use.

Would you like to learn more about implant ruptures and leakage? You will need to speak directly with a breast augmentation surgeon. If you are worried about the expense of paying a breast augmentation surgeon for your initial consultation, don't be: most surgeons provide free initial consultations for new clients.

Please do not interpret this article as medical advice – only a licensed, practicing physician should consult with you regarding your medical and health-related questions.