Already Have Breast Implants and Have Problems?

Don't panic! If you are having any kind of problems, contact your plastic surgeon, unless you are really concerned about the quality of his or her care. If you feel like your doctor or plastic surgeon is not taking you seriously, contact us. Also, make sure you report any problems you are having to the FDA.

What do I do if my implant breaks?

Most experts agree that it is important to remove a ruptured implant as soon as possible, especially if it contains silicone gel. Removal of implants is called explantation.

Usually a ruptured saline implant is harmless, unless the saline contains bacteria, mold, or fungus, which can happen inside a woman's body. If your implant has broken, and you feel sick, have a temperature, and/or a rash, you should see a doctor immediately. You could have an infection from contaminated saline.

It is important to have ruptured silicone gel implants removed as soon as possible. The longer the silicone is allowed to remain in the body, the more time it has to migrate to other parts of your body, like lungs or lymph nodes, where it can't be removed. Unfortunately, nobody knows for sure what will happen as a result of silicone in the body because no one has conducted any research on the subject.

Everybody is different. Some girls do not respond strongly, if at all, to breast implants. Others become very, very ill.

Remember: If you choose to get your implant removed because you don't like the way they look or because of health reasons, your breasts will not look the same as they did before surgery.

Also, if you get silicone gel implants removed because of silicone leakage, your surgeon may have to remove part of your own breast as well, leaving your chest smaller than what you started out with.

To find out exactly how silicone leaks into your body and what happens, click here.