Breast implant rupture 10 years after breast augmentation

Ho Chi Minh City , a 44-year-old woman had a gel breast implant 10 years ago. Now the implant has ruptured and silicone has leaked out, causing pain and swelling in her left breast.

On July 16, Dr. Ngo Anh Kiet, Director of Venus Cosmetic Institute, said that a breast ultrasound and MRI scan showed that the left breast implant had ruptured outside the capsule, with the silicone leaking out of the fibrous capsule. If not removed, the silicone could spread to surrounding tissues, causing inflammation and pain in the chest area.

The surgical team took the bag out, removed all the silicone tissue that escaped around to avoid risk to the patient, and placed a new breast bag back in.

The ruptured breast implant was surgically removed. Photo: Doctor provided — The ruptured breast implant was surgically removed. Photo: *Doctor provided*

According to Dr. Kiet, breast implants can rupture due to strong external forces such as car accidents, compression of the chest during mammography, needle puncture during breast biopsy, trauma during surgery... Breast implants can also rupture due to the quality of the breast implant manufacturer or due to the normal aging process of the implant over a period of 12-35 years.

"This case was operated on over 10 years ago so it could not have been due to trauma during the implant surgery. The patient also had no external injuries or impacts so it could have been due to the quality of the manufacturer's implant," the doctor said. Therefore, during surgery, the doctor removed the remaining unbroken implant to ensure the patient's safety.

Symptoms of a ruptured saline breast implant are that the breast will quickly deflate within a few days and often without any signs because the body absorbs the saline. For gel implants, if they rupture inside the capsule, it will be difficult to detect through examination and there are usually no symptoms. If they rupture outside the capsule, the silicone that escapes outside the fibrous capsule can spread to the surrounding tissues, causing inflammation and pain. A definitive diagnosis of a ruptured breast implant is usually made through an MRI scan or breast ultrasound.

Normally, breast implant distributors in Vietnam apply a policy of supporting ruptured breast implants with new breast implants to replace the ruptured breast implants.

Doctors recommend that people who have breast implant surgery should choose an experienced doctor at a safe surgical location, choose the right type of breast implant from a reputable and safe distributor. When there are unusual symptoms, it is necessary to see a doctor for examination and timely treatment.

Le Phuong

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