GENERAL

• Silicone implants come prefilled

• Saline implant shells are implanted then filled to desired volume.

POST-OPERATIVE

• Hematoma 

• Infection

• Abnormal constriction of the fibrous capsule that surrounds the breast implant

• Can occur anytime after surgery (most common in first few months)

• Seen most commonly in subglandular implants

• CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS

  • Imaging cannot definitely diagnose it.

• Findings:

  • Change in shape of implant

  • US: thickening of fibrous capsule

  • Mammo: peri-implant calcifications (most predictive)

    • "in the appropriate clinical setting this could suggest capsular contraction"

• Incidence of implant rupture is unknown

• Risk of rupture is directly related to age of implant (median lifespan is 10.8 years)

• Risk is inversely related to the thickness of the elastomer shell

• Silicone implants can have intracapsular and extracapsular rupture.

  • Intracapsular is MC (77-89%)

• Saline implant rupture is a clinical diagnosis as saline will rapidly decompress out of shell following a tear and be absorbed by body

SILICONE INJECTIONS