Silicone breast implants: What happens if they rupture?

What health problems can occur when silicone breast implants rupture?

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Mayo Clinic breast-health specialist Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., and colleagues answer select questions from readers.

Answer

The safety of silicone breast implants has been debated for years. There's no scientific evidence that ruptured silicone implants cause serious, long-term health problems, such as cancer or autoimmune disorders. The major problem associated with a ruptured breast implant is the formation of scar tissue in the breast, which can lead to pain and disfigurement.

When foreign material — such as an implant — is placed in your body, your body reacts by forming scar tissue around it. This is normal. If the scar tissue remains soft and pliable, it causes no problems. However, if a silicone implant ruptures, your body may react to this new foreign material — the leaking silicone gel — by forming additional scar tissue. The result may be a hard capsule around the implant that may distort the shape of your breast and cause pain or discomfort. Treatment may include surgical removal of the implant and scar tissue and insertion of a replacement implant.

Some women have no signs or symptoms when an implant ruptures. But others experience:

Breast pain or tenderness
Lumps in their breasts
Decreased breast size
Distorted breast shape

If you have breast implants and experience such signs or symptoms, see your doctor. Rupture of an implant can be confirmed by ultrasound, CT or MRI of the breast.

Breast implants, on average, last about 10 years before they need replacing. However, this varies depending on the individual and the type of breast implant. Your doctor may monitor your silicone breast implants with an MRI scan after the breast implants have been in place for three years.