How safe are breast implants?

How safe are breast implants?

25th Jul 2017

Nowadays, more and more women opt for breast implants to improve the size, shape, and symmetry of their breasts. There are different kinds of breast implants that can be used to augment the breast, and the most common ones are the saline and the silicone gel implants. Irrespective of the type of implants used, patients still question whether it is safe or not.

Both the saline-filled and silicone gel-filled implants are made up of a silicone shell, and they only differ in their content. The saline is filled with a sterile salt solution, while the silicone is filled with silicone gel. The saline-filled implants are actually empty when they are inserted into the breast. It is filled only after the implants are positioned. As for the silicone gel-filled implants, those are already filled when they are inserted. They are also available in various volumes.

Some prefer the silicone ones because they seem and feel more natural to touch than the saline implants. With that said, there are others who prefer the saline implants because it is much safer if it leaks or ruptures. The reason for this is that if the saline-filled breast implants rupture, the saline solution would just be reabsorbed by the body without causing any harm or affecting the proper salt-to-water ratio. However, it will be evident if the implant ruptures because your breasts will look smaller or deflated.

On the other hand, a ruptured silicone gel-filled breast implant may not be easily noticed. It can take months or even years to discover the leakage because, unlike the saline solution that is easily reabsorbed by the body, the silicone gel will remain trapped inside the capsule of the fibrous tissue surrounding the implant. While it may not be noticeable at first, the problem is that it may cause the silicone to react to the surrounding tissue. A ruptured silicone implant may be identified when it starts to cause pain and when the breasts take on a different shape. It is advised to have the ruptured silicone implants removed, but it will be the patient’s decision whether to replace the implant or simply remove it. The removal and replacement of the implants can be done in one surgical intervention.

An MRI scan can also help in detecting if there is a leak in the silicone implants. If it is discovered that there is indeed a leak, but the patient doesn’t have any signs or symptoms, it is up to the patient to decide whether they want the implant removed or not.

Aside from the different reactions that the saline implants and silicone implants cause, the use of implants can also bring about different complications to the health of the patient. The surgeon will inform the patient of the risks of each implant. Despite this, some will still continue with the surgical procedure.

These are some of the possible complications that a breast implant surgery could bring: pain, breast tissue atrophy, capsular contracture, hematoma, delayed wound healing, lymphedema, infection, necrosis, bleeding, loss of sensation, seroma, asymmetry, and calcification.


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