A ruptured or deflated implant requires careful, complete removal — especially with silicone, where gel can migrate beyond the capsule. Dr. Tachmes ensures thorough extraction of all compromised material and restores your results safely. Serving patients from across Florida and the Southeast US.
Submit Your Case for ReviewOr text Dr. Tachmes directly: 786-603-9074 — no coordinators.
Breast implant rupture is not a one-size-fits-all problem. How it presents, how it's diagnosed, and how it's treated depends entirely on whether you have saline or silicone implants.
Saline implants deflate visibly and quickly when they rupture — the salt water is safely absorbed by your body, but you'll notice your breast shrinking within days. The problem is obvious. Surgery is straightforward.
Silicone gel implants are different. When the shell ruptures, the thick silicone gel can remain contained within the capsule (intracapsular rupture) or migrate through the capsule into surrounding tissue (extracapsular rupture). Because modern silicone gel is cohesive, you may feel no symptoms at all — this is called a silent rupture.
Silent silicone ruptures are only reliably detected by MRI. The FDA recommends MRI screening for silicone implants every 2–3 years starting at 5–6 years post-augmentation — a recommendation most patients were never informed of.
Detection: Immediate — visible deflation within 24–72 hours
Risk: Low — saline is harmlessly absorbed
Urgency: Not emergency, but should be addressed promptly
Surgery: Relatively straightforward — remove deflated shell, replace
Detection: Often "silent" — MRI required for diagnosis
Risk: Moderate — gel migration to lymph nodes possible
Urgency: Address as soon as detected to prevent further migration
Surgery: Complex — complete capsulectomy required
If you have silicone implants placed more than 5 years ago and have never had an MRI, there's a meaningful chance of silent rupture — especially with older implants.
Symptoms that may indicate rupture: change in breast shape, new firmness, small lumps in the breast or armpit, or unusual pain.
Dr. Tachmes can review your imaging and symptoms during your consultation.
All breast implants have a finite lifespan. The shell can weaken and rupture due to:
• Age — implant shells degrade over time, especially after 10–15 years
• Compression force — trauma, closed capsulotomy (an outdated and dangerous technique), or seatbelt injury
• Fold flaw — repetitive creasing in the shell at fold points creates stress fractures over time
• Capsular contracture — the hardened capsule squeezes the implant, increasing internal pressure until it fails
• Manufacturing defect — rare, but implant shell failures do occur
The goal is complete removal of all compromised implant material — not just the shell, but any extracapsular silicone gel — combined with a clean pocket environment for the new implant.
For silicone ruptures, Dr. Tachmes performs a complete capsulectomy to ensure no gel remains trapped in the surrounding tissue. In cases with extracapsular migration, careful dissection is required to identify and remove all accessible gel.
For saline deflation, the procedure is more straightforward: the deflated shell is removed, the pocket is inspected for any concurrent issues (contracture, malposition), and a new implant is placed.
Every rupture case includes:
A case involving capsular contracture combined with silicone implant rupture — one of the more complex revision scenarios requiring complete capsulectomy and full gel extraction.
Don't wait. Dr. Tachmes personally reviews every case and provides direct guidance on diagnosis and next steps — no coordinator required.
Submit Your Case for Review