What happens if the implant ruptures?
If a saline implant ruptures, one will soon notice an obvious change in the symmetry of one’s breasts (one breast will suddenly get smaller). The saline will be harmlessly absorbed by your body. On the other hand, if a gel ruptures, one may not notice any size change and indeed, the rupture may be “silent”. Only an MRI will have the best chance of non-invasively detecting if a silicone implant has ruptured. If this does occur, most of the time the gel will remain within the pocket bounded by the capsule without any health consequences. Rupture rates for Mentor gel implants have been reported to be as low as 0.5% at 3 years.
