Get The Facts About Silicone Breast Implants And Silent Rupture

The Anatomy Of Silicone Implants

All breast implants, whether saline, structured, or silicone, are made using solid silicone outer shells to hold the filling in place. Silicone gel breast implants are filled with silicone gel, a thick and sticky substance that gives the implant its natural look and feel. The cohesiveness of the gel means the implant holds its shape well and provides upper position support. Silicone gel breast implants are available in different shapes including round and teardrop. While some women prefer the subtile profile of teardrop shaped implants they are at risk of turning after placement, which requires revision surgery to correct.

What Is Silent Rupture?

When a silicone breast implant ruptures without causing symptoms that rupture is known as a “silent rupture”. According to the FDA, “A “silent rupture” doesn’t change the way an implant looks or feels to a woman because the rupture occurs within the capsule. Silent ruptures are not usually evident by a physical examination by a doctor.” (source). Because a physical exam cannot detect a silent rupture the FDA recommends women get an MRI three years after placement, then every two years for the life of the implant. Insurance companies do not typically cover the cost of these MRIs, leading many women to put them off and only return to their surgeon if they have adverse symptoms such as pain or lumps.

Why You Need All The Facts About Your Silicone Implants

Why do you need to know about a silent rupture, especially if you are not experiencing negative complications? The FDA recommends removal of ruptured implants, even if the implants are not causing symptoms. A recent survey found 97% of women wanted to know if their silicone gel implant had silently ruptured, including 100% of women who reported already having silicone gel implants. It is important to know what is going on inside your body so you can make decisions about your health. Putting off an MRI doesn’t mean your implant hasn’t ruptured, it only means you are kept in the dark about it.

Alternatives To Silicone Breast Implants

Silicone gel gives women a beautiful, natural looking result, but for some women, anxiety about the status of their implants has them looking for an alternative. Saline breast implants used to be the only other option women had for breast implants. However, they come with their own benefits and compromises. If a saline breast implant ruptures the implant deflates and the saline is naturally absorbed by the body. There is no risk of silent rupture, and no need for an MRI to detect a rupture. But women are compromising a natural look when they choose saline. As Dr. Barone explains, “one of the things I hated and most women hated about the saline was the unnatural feel of the saline implants. They felt like balloons underneath the chest wall.”

A new type of breast implant was approved by the FDA in 2014, providing an alternative to saline and silicone implants. The IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant offers women a natural looking result with peace of mind and instant rupture detection. IDEAL IMPLANT is filled with saline, but feels and moves like silicone gel. This is due to the internal structure of two chambers and baffled layers that control the flow of saline. IDEAL IMPLANT solves the problem of silent rupture, and gives women a beautiful looking result.

IDEAL IMPLANT Structured Breast Implants also have a lower rupture risk than silicone gel breast implants. In FDA Core clinical trial data silicone gel breast implants have rupture rates ranging from 7.2%-13.6% 8 years after a primary breast augmentation. IDEAL IMPLANT has a rupture rate of only 2.1% 8 years after a primary breast augmentation. Knowing statistics like rupture rates, and other complication rates, will help you make an empowered choice for your body.

Make The Right Choice With Access To More Options

No one breast implant is right for every woman, which is why women need access to every option for a breast augmentation. Dr. Barone is dedicated to providing her patients with the best choices, and giving them all the information they need to make this important decision. She explains,

I feel very strongly that you have to expose patients to all the different types of implants and give them the positives and the negatives about all the implants and what the requirements are to maintain those implants. And without presenting the structured implant to women today, I feel that it's a lack of informed consent.

 

Dr. Barone is one of the exclusive plastic surgeons in the San Antonio area to offer the IDEAL IMPLANT Structured Breast Implant. To learn more about IDEAL IMPLANT, saline breast implants, and silicone breast implants, visit Barone Plastic Surgery. Call 210-263-3945 for your complimentary consultation.