I have 30 year old saline implants & the right implant deflated. They are small implants so it’s not really noticeable. I am terrified of surgery & wondered is it medically necessary to have it? What risk is there in leaving as is? I should note I have an occasional jarring pain in the right side (under breast toward the armpit) over the last few years which my obgyn doesn’t think is a concern
Not recommended. A ruptured implant will lead to capsular contracture making the removal much more difficult
I must disagree with my colleague. How is the presence of a deflated saline implant any different than one that contains saline? This is different than the situation with a ruptured silicone implant which can certainly trigger a capsular contracture. My suggestion is if you are not bothered by the appearance, you may leave things as they are.
Well, in my opinion, you shouldn’t be afraid of deflated implant removal, specially if it is that old and deflated. The implant’s surface material will always be a foreign body for your breast and there is no reason to give a way to speculations and worries about caring about your health. Procastination is not the answer.
The surgical procedure is relatively easy, but the foreign body’s and your biological healing response , may not be necessarily “friendly” and the surgeon who attends your case, can find a “mass” or hard to remove residual implants surface.
I attended a similar case of 18 years after procedure, and reaction many times depends of the implant’s make too.
I definitely recommend removal of the implant. Time in the O.R. depends on the presence of Capsular Contracture. It can range from 1 to 2 hours. Another reason for having the implants removed is that the unsealed implant can lead to bacteria or spores growing inside the emplty implant. I have removed many ruptured saline implants in my 22 year practice and more than once, have I seen fungus inside them. Remember that not all surgeons use the closed technique when injecting saline when first implanted. The spores in the air can go inside the implant and grow. I suggest removal before they cause problems. I would worry more about future complications than a safe surgery now.
A lot of conjecture and opinions here all valid. I cant believe the deflated implant is any different than an inflated one with saline that is still there after 30 years. If fungus is going to grow it will grow with or without the saline. And the same w/ the bacteria where ever people think they can come from after 30 years. However Its easy enough to take the implant out. Local anesthesia. And not do anything else
Unless you are having a problem with them, there is no medical reason to remove a ruptured SALINE implant. Its no different than a non-ruptured implants, its just empty with a small hole in it. The is no evidence that it will lead to capsular contracture. For patient who want them removed, I usually do it awake with just a local anesthetic.
There is no need to be terrified about surgery. This would be a very simple thing to remove and it probably could even be done under local anesthesia. It could take as little as 5 to 10 minutes. There is no medical reason to remove this deflated saline implant and there does not seem to be a reason. I you have some discomfort this may be improved by removal but there is no guarantee that you will get rid of the symptoms. There is no reason at all to worry about capsular contractures or infections of any kind anymore than if they were still full of saline. If you have problems then remove them. If you do not then leave them alone. Your decision. Visit a local ABPS certified or eligible surgeon for a consultation.