MRI Scans for Silicone Breast Implants

The generation of silicone gel implants currently available in the U.S. is highly advanced and widely researched. This latest generation is also highly durable, and unlike saline implants, when a rupture or tear to a silicone implant occurs, it may not be immediately noticeable to the patient. These so-called “silent ruptures” can be detected through periodic MRIs, which I advise for all of my Los Angeles silicone gel breast implant patients.

Because a rupture in silicone gel breast implants is hard to detect, patients need to take an active role in monitoring their implants. When a rupture occurs, the silicone gel contained within the implant tends to stay in the pocket (the space that surrounds the breast implant) and the outward appearance of the breast often does not change at all. The FDA recommends that patients have an MRI performed 3 years after their breast augmentation, and then every 2 years after that continuously.

Symptoms

While some women do not notice any change after a silicone breast implant rupture, patients may experience symptoms such as knots or lumps surrounding the implant, change in shape or size of the implant, swelling, pain, numbness, or hardening of the breast. Although these symptoms of a rupture are possible, they are not always present, which is why it is critical to have an MRI performed as recommended by the FDA.

Tags: los angeles breast implant

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010 at 10:05 pm and is filed under Breast Implant,Breast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.