Most women enjoy long lasting, satisfying results from their breast augmentation and have no problems with their implants. In Orange County, breast augmentation patients whose breast implants have ruptured choose Dr. Andrew Smith to have them safely removed and replaced. As a board-certified plastic surgeon and breast reconstruction and revision specialist, Dr. Smith is highly qualified to perform these more complex breast surgeries.
To have Dr. Smith diagnose or correct a ruptured breast implant, request a FREE surgical consultation using his online form or call (949) 653-7000.
When you choose Dr. Smith, you’re choosing a breast specialist who
- Is the Chief of the Subsection of Plastic Surgery at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center
- Is one of the top surgeons in Orange County for complex breast revisions and reconstructions
- Has performed thousands of breast surgeries during his 15+ years of surgical experience
How can I tell if my breast implant has ruptured?
When a saline implant ruptures, it deflates rather quickly. The saltwater in the implant is harmless and is absorbed by the body. The breast looks deflated and is noticeably smaller than the other breast. It is more difficult to determine whether a silicone gel implant has ruptured because the filling usually remains inside the implant shell or the breast capsule. This is called a “silent rupture,” and can go undetected indefinitely. Signs a silicone implant has ruptured include:
- Changes in breast shape
- Increased breast firmness
- Breast pain or tenderness
If a rupture is suspected in a silicone implant, it can be confirmed with a diagnostic scan such as a mammogram, ultrasound, or MRI.
Before & After Photos
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Before
After
Case 208, Breast Revision
This is a 46 year old female who is 5’7 and weighs 147 pounds. She came to Dr. Smith wanting to remove her 20 year old implants and replace them with a similar size implant. She was also unhappy with her excess fat and skin around her waist and abdomen. However she wasnt ready to have a scar from a tummy tuck yet. So Dr. Smith removed her old implants and replaced them with 339 silicone gel implants on the right and left side. He also did liposuction on her abdomen and waist. She is very happy with her results.
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Case 157, Breast Augmentation, Breast Revision
40 year old female who had a previous breast augmentation and was very unhappy with her result. She had a saline subglandular augmentation and her implants have resulted in severe rippling and her implants have ended up under her arms. She has a lack of central fullness and her implants end up on her side when she lays down. We did a breast augmentation revision with a complex surgical approach. A switch to larger silicone gel implants along with a pocket change to subpectoral was done. The pocket change utilized AlloDerm® dermal matrix to define the pocket and reduce rippling postoperatively. This resulted in a dramatic improvement and has almost completely eliminated her rippling….
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Case 160, Breast Augmentation, Breast Revision
27 year old female from Riverside County who had a previous breast augmentation procedure and developed a “double bubble” or loosening of the inframammary fold. This also resulted in visible rippling at the top of her breasts even though her implants were under the muscle. She had saline implants in place, and was satisfied with her volume, but wanted her breast folds and rippling to be improved. We did a breast revision in our Orange County surgical center for her to re-establish her inframammary folds. This consisted of a capsulorraphy (pocket sutures) on both sides to elevate the fold of her breasts and correct her breast augmentation. She chose to keep her existing saline impla…
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Case 196, Breast Revision
This 48 year old female had a previous augmentation 17 years ago. She had severe encapsulation of bilateral breast implants with grade IV capsular contracture.
Dr. Smith preformed a bilateral breast complete capsulectomy with ruptured implant removal and replacement with new silicone implants.
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Case 222, Breast Augmentation, Breast Revision
This is a 40 year old female who had a previous breast augmentation 13 years ago and wanted to have her implants changed. She wanted to stay about the same size or slightly smaller. We took her old implants out and replaced them with 339 silicone gel implants on the right and left side.
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Case 213, Breast Augmentation, Breast Revision
This is a 35 year old female from south Orange County. She had previously had a breast augmentation years ago with saline implants. Her right breast implant had ruptured. She wanted to be similar in size but wanted to have silicone gel implants instead. We put in a 339cc silicone gel implant on the right side and a 304cc silicone gel implant on the left. She is very happy with her results.
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Case 187, Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift, Breast Revision
This 49 year old Orange County woman removed her old implants and replaced them with new 225 cc silicone implants. Her old implants were encapsulated so she had a capsulectomy and a lift at the same time.
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Case 257, Breast Augmentation, Breast Revision
This 34 year old female had a saline implants placed under the muscle approximately 8 years ago. She came into see us because her left breast implant had ruptured. She is a 32 D and would like to remain about the same size. She is 5’1 105 pounds. Using an inframmammry fold incision we placed 425 cc silicone implants under the muscle.
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Case 295, Breast Revision
This is a 47 year old female who was interested in a breast revision. She has had multiple previous breast augmentation procedures including a breast lift. She has breast asymmetry with a right-sided encapsulation. She feels that her breasts are too large and wants to downsize her implants. She preceeded with a breast revision which included a right breast capsulectomy, right breast Alloderm graft, and bilateral mastopexy revision. She was placed with Natrelle style 15 265cc silicone implants. She is very happy with her results.
See More Before & After Photos
Why do breast implants rupture?
Breast implants are not lifetime devices; therefore, breast augmentation patients should be prepared to have revision surgery at some point. Some of the most common reasons for a breast implant to leak or rupture include:
- Overfilling or underfilling a saline implant
- Normal deterioration over time
- Trauma to the breast
- Cut or puncture during surgery on or near the breast
- A defect in the implant
What can be done if an implant ruptures?
If an implant ruptures, Dr. Smith will perform surgery to remove and replace it. If the ruptured implant was filled with saline, it can simply be replaced. In the case of a ruptured silicone implant, Dr. Smith will remove any residual silicone gel and scar tissue, and make any repairs needed to the breast pocket. Ideally, he will utilize the original breast augmentation incisions.
Dr. Smith can change the size and fill material of your implants if you’d like. Recovery is usually quicker than for the original procedure.
What if I don’t want to replace my implants?
Some patients decide to have their implants removed and not replaced. That’s always an option. Dr. Smith’s first priority is always to help patients find the solution that is right for them. In these cases, a breast lift is often necessary to remove stretched skin and create a better shape and position. A breast lift elevates and reshapes the breasts to make sure they are proportional and symmetrical. Dr. Smith’s dedication to helping patients meet their unique cosmetic goals is one of the reasons so many women seek out his services when considering any form of cosmetic breast surgery.
Is it OK to wait to have my implant replaced?
Do not put off seeing Dr. Smith if you suspect a problem with an implant. Severe capsular contracture can develop around a ruptured implant, which could require a more complex procedure to correct. Your first step should be to schedule a consultation with Dr. Smith, so he can assess the condition of your implants in person and recommend a course of action. As one of the most experienced aesthetic breast surgeons in Orange County, Dr. Smith provides the peace of mind women seek when they have concerns about their breast implants. His experience and advanced training in performing breast implant revision surgery lead women from throughout Southern California to choose him when they need to replace either one or both of their implants.