Can breast implants fall?

Bottoming Out

As we mentioned earlier, it's natural and anticipated that breast implants will slightly drop after your breast augmentation surgery. But if your implants are bottomed out, they will have dropped way beyond what is expected to the point where your nipples appear to be sitting too high on the breast mound.

How do I know if my implants have dropped?

Signs that your silicone implant has ruptured can include changes in breast shape and size, and increasing pain, firmness, and swelling over a period of weeks. Rupture can also cause capsular contracture. Silicone implant rupture that doesn't cause any noticeable symptoms is known as “silent rupture.”

Can a fall cause a breast implant to rupture?

Intense physical trauma to the breast, such as a car accident could lead to breast implant rupture. It is unlikely that normal physical activities will trigger a rupture.

What causes breast implants to drop?

The drop occurs as the muscles relax during recovery, causing the implants to shift into the right position over time gradually. This is also when the “fluff” occurs, which is the filling in of the lower breast region beneath the nipple that promotes breast projection and natural-looking breast shape.

Can an implant slip?

Breast implants can shift or become displaced over time so that they're not in the correct position in the breast. Sometimes breast implants can shift or become displaced over time so that they're not in the correct position in the breast.

Breast Augmentation: When Do Implants Drop in Place?

Can your implant move?

Implant migration is defined as movement of the 4 cm long device at least 2 cm beyond the site of insertion. The device most frequently only moves a short distance, but if it moves toward the hand, it could potentially cause carpal tunnel symptoms.

How hard is it to rupture implant?

While extremely durable—a silicone implant can withstand hundreds of pounds of pressure—there is always a small risk that the shell will tear or rupture. With silicone implants, a shell rupture can be difficult to detect on its own, hence the term “silent rupture.”

How much force can breast implants take?

Today's breast implants are extremely durable, and can withstand tremendous amounts of pressure before rupturing: about 175 pounds for saline, and up to 300 or so for silicone gel. This is far more pressure than a mammogram comes even close to applying. As durable as they are, no breast implant can last forever.

What happens if breast implant pops?

Ruptured silicone breast implants can cause breast pain or changes in the contour or shape of the breast. However, ruptured silicone breast implants aren't thought to cause breast cancer, reproductive problems or connective tissue disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Does one implant dropped before the other?

Because the amount of time it takes for breasts implants to drop can be so different, it is impossible to say if your breast augmentation is dropping normally — there is no “normal.” Your breasts will likely go through regular changes for the first few months as they begin to settle in; one of your breasts may even ...

What is the safest breast implant?

Both saline and silicone breast implants are considered safe for breast augmentation and breast reconstruction. Research on the safety and effectiveness of both types of implants is ongoing.

What does a ruptured breast implant look like?

Lumps or Ripples in Your Breast

Those ripples are actually the implant itself, deflated and sometimes folded over on itself. For women who experience a silicone breast implant rupture, ripples and lumps may become noticeable in and around the breast itself or in the armpit area.

What percentage of breast implants rupture?

Breast augmentation in modern practice

In the United States, breast implant rupture rates range from 1.1% to 17.7% at six to 10 years after primary augmentation, 2.9% to 14.7% after revision augmentation, 1.5% to 35.4% after primary breast reconstruction, and 0% to 19.6% after revision reconstruction.

How long do breast implants usually last?

That said, you should not plan to have your breast implants for an entire lifetime. Breast implants do not last forever, and there are many reasons why women will choose to have their implants removed, usually anywhere from 10 to 20 years after their initial surgery.

When do breast implants Harden?

Capsular contracture occurs when the natural scar tissue surrounding your breast implants tightens and hardens, resulting in a breast that looks distorted and feels hard. It can occur in one breast or both breasts, and is rated from grade 1 to grade 4 depending on how bad it is.

Is it good to wear a sports bra after breast augmentation?

Yes, a wireless sports or compression bra is the best type of bra to wear after breast augmentation surgery. Wired bras can irritate incisions and prevent them from healing, which can prolong your recovery and make the experience more painful than it needs to be.

Can I squeeze breast implants?

After the implant massage it's good to squeeze the skin and breast tissue all around the breast. This helps decrease sensitivity and keeps the breast capsule soft. Breast implant massage is performed for six weeks after surgery. Squeezing the breasts is done daily as long as the implants are in place.

Does insurance pay for ruptured breast implants?

If implants are placed for cosmetic reasons, the insurance carrier will usually only consider paying for removal and/or capsulectomy and only for ruptured implants or for painful capsular contracture.

What keeps breast implants in place?

The muscles and ligaments will help hold the implant in place. After the implant is placed and you begin to heal, your body will form scar tissue around the implant, which is called a “capsule.”

What happens if I can't feel my implant?

If you can't feel the implant, tell your healthcare provider. Location and removal of the implant may be difficult or impossible because the implant is not where it should be. Special procedures, including surgery in the hospital, may be needed to remove the implant.

Do breast implants sag over time?

Breast Implants Will Settle into Place

Sagging will happen over time as the breast tissue begins aging. The larger the implants are, the quicker sagging will occur. However, breast augmentation surgery results will make breasts look great for many years, and sagging is not imminent until 10+ years later in most cases.

What happens if you don't replace breast implants?

They can rupture or leak, and saline implants may deflate. Capsular contracture may also occur, which is shrinkage of natural scar tissue that your body produces around any implanted medical device. This may result in firm or hard breasts or a deformity which you can feel or see.

How can you tell if your implant is encapsulated?

What does it mean when your breast implant hurts?

In theory, breast implants can hurt at any point in time following surgery. Immediate pain is often the result of the procedure itself and your body healing the skin that was cut and adjusting to the new addition to your body. However, as time goes on, you could experience other complications and pain.

How often should breast implants be replaced?

Most silicone and saline implants are FDA approved for 10-20 years, but this does not mean that you have to get them replaced every 10-20 years. You can safely go beyond these time frames, and most patients only have to have 1-2 replacements in their lifetime.