Saline Breast Implant Leaks and Ruptures

Although a leaking or ruptured saline breast implant is not an emergency, the problem should be addressed as soon as possible to correct any deformities in breast shape and remove the implant shell. Fortunately, saline implant leaks or ruptures are easier to detect than silicone implant ruptures. In the case of silicone implants, leaks are detected through the use of routine mammograms, as the silicone-gel filler is designed to stay in place rather than leak into the body.

If saline implants have ruptured, a patient should contact a plastic surgeon to schedule breast implant revision surgery. During breast implant revision, the old saline shells are removed, and, if the patient desires, replaced with new implants.

Causes

There are a variety of causes of saline implant leaks, ranging from a faulty or aging implant, to an injury to the breast, to overfilling of the implant. However, the most common cause may be pressure on a fold in the implant from a capsular contracture, or development of hard scar tissue in the capsule around the implant itself. Repeated pressure may cause the outside silicone shell to weaken, eventually resulting in a leak or rupture. When a saline implant does leak or rupture, the saline solution will be naturally reabsorbed into the body.

Symptoms

Patients may not even realize right away that their implant has leaked or ruptured. The implant may go flat right away, in the case of a rupture, or take several days or weeks to deflate if there is a small leak. The most obvious sign of implant rupture is a reduction in the size of the implant, and thus in the size of the breast itself. This will result in noticeable asymmetry if only one implant has leaked.

Prevention

The easiest way to prevent a saline implant from leaking or deflating is to choose a qualified and skilled surgeon to perform the initial procedure. The surgeon should not overfill the implant with saline, as this may weaken the silicone shell. The incision size should be adequate for the size of the implant so that it is not folded over on itself, which again may weaken the silicone shell. Obviously, care must be taken in the handling of the implants with surgical instruments so as not to tear or rupture the fill valve or the shell.

Treatment

In the case of saline implant deflation, breast implant revision surgery is performed to have the original implants removed and new ones inserted. At this point, the patient may choose a different type of implant; for example, the saline implants may be replaced with silicone–gel implants, the size and shape may be altered, or the implants may be moved under the muscle to produce a more natural look.

Our surgeons have performed thousands of breast augmentation procedures and are skilled in placing different types of implants. However, should the implant rupture or leak, we are equally skilled at breast implant revision surgery. Contact Crawford Plastic Surgery today to schedule a breast augmentation consultation in Marietta.