Recognize the signs of a silicone implant rupture

• May 18, 2022
• By Fernando Amato

Have you heard about capsular contracture? It happens when the capsule surrounding the mammary implant contracts. As a consequence, the breast becomes firmer, can change shape, and even cause pain in more severe cases.

In the 80s, capsular contracture was classified into four levels according to symptoms and physical examination of the breasts. They are:

– Baker I: Soft breast (normal);

– Baker II: Minimally firm breast;

– Baker III: Moderately firm breast with visual deformity;

– Baker IV: Hard and painful breast.

Several factors can cause capsular contracture, such as the implant's age and the material's quality. Other more serious aspects include the presence of infection, postoperative complications such as hematomas, seromas, intense surgical trauma (mastectomies), implant rupture, and radiation therapy in cases of post-cancer reconstruction.

How to tell if a silicone implant has ruptured?

Although rare, rupture can occur, and the main signs that this has happened include, in addition to capsular contracture, the appearance of nodules, sharp pains, and changes in breast shape and firmness. “These signs occur when the body has come into contact with the silicone gel, causing an inflammatory reaction.

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