It's safe to say that breast implants cannot stop a bullet. If you have implants and get shot or stabbed, there is a very minute chance they could marginally protect you. However, bullets and knives are designed to destroy whatever they come in contact with.
Today's “5th generation” silicone implants can withstand up to 300 lbs. of pressure.
Breast implant illness (BII) is a systemic complication associated with breast implants. Patients with BII may experience autoimmune symptoms including fatigue, difficulty concentrating, hair loss, weight change, and depression.
With the help of a small chip inside the breast implant, information about the implant can be accessed for years later. There is a nipple prosthetic chip with nano surface. With this chip, it is easy to determine when breast prostheses were performed, by whom, when and whether any infections have developed.
Saline and silicone implants can also rupture because of trauma — anything from a car accident to a needle insertion during a biopsy.
For many people, their breast implants last their entire lives. While these devices can lose some of their strength over time, there is no rule that says breast implants are only ever good for 10 years. Additionally, the breasts will sag and become thinned out in many cases.
You may have heard about breast implants exploding at high altitudes – this is just a myth!
Implants do not usually interfere with reading chest X-rays, but older implants or those with thickened capsules may be obvious (Figure 1.)
On average, today's implants are designed to last more than a decade, with the chance of rupture increasing by one percent each year. So, the older your implants are, the greater your risk of rupture or other complications. In many cases, breast implants can remain in good shape for 20 years or more.
All identification chips used in breast implants to date are suitable for MRI. Therefore, uncertainty as to whether or not a patient has a chip in their breast implant should not restrict the patient from safely progressing with their MRI scan. The overwhelming majority of breast implants are MR safe.
Kaali et al. hypothesize that the microorganisms in the biofilm could be responsible for the discoloration of the polymer surface by causing lipophilic pigments to diffuse into the silicone envelope. Other studies report implants changing color and becoming yellow with time.
However, when the implants are placed properly, it will be difficult to feel anything. Breast implants may look more obvious on people who are naturally very thin with very little padding on the chest. Many people consider any type of implants to feel slightly harder than actual breast tissue.
After implant removal, your breasts may sag, droop or appear misshapen. Many people choose to have implant removal with a breast lift (mastopexy). During a breast lift, your surgeon removes excess skin and reshapes your breast tissue. If needed, the surgeon can also reposition the nipple and areola.
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.
It is unlikely that normal everyday contact or force would cause your breast implants to rupture. There have been cases of certain types of injuries or accidents (such as a car accident) causing implants to rupture, though even this is fairly rare.
When a foreign object is inserted into the body, our immune system forms a thin film around it to protect the body, forming a capsule. A capsular contracture happens when the body forms scar tissue along this capsule, causing it to contract, which makes the implants look and feel hardened.
This may result in firm or hard breasts or a deformity which you can feel or see. Since the implants are not designed to last a lifetime, they may need to be replaced after about 10 to 15 years on average.
As far as wearing the bra to bed at night, that is optional. If the patient has undergone a reshaping of an existing scar tissue pocket at the time of the breast surgery, however, we advise that the bra be worn for six weeks at night while sleeping.
This means that if your nipples were firm before the surgery, they should continue to be this way afterwards. If your nipples were somewhat prominent to start with, they might have the illusion of being more prominent after surgery, as the implants now push them further outward.
According to a recent review, breast implant rupture during a mammogram is extremely rare. Remember, the technologist moves the implant prior to taking the implant-displaced views, meaning breast tissue is what's compressed — not the implant.
Avoid sports, amusement park rides, and bending over. Avoid straining or lifting items, people, or pets that are over 5 pounds. Avoid stressful situations.
In fact, the FDA recommends that women with silicone implants get an MRI every three years to find any possible ruptures. Other signs of implant aging, such as hardening that can occur with older generation silicone implants, happen more gradually.
Painful or uncomfortable implants can indicate a number of issues that require a breast implant revision, including capsular contracture, damaged lymph nodes, a developing seroma, pinched nerves or poor implant placement. If you have silicone implants, pain may be a sign your implant has ruptured or is leaking.
Regardless of the type of breast implants you have, a rupture will likely cause some tenderness and possibly some pain in your breast.