Breast prosthesis control

Control study of the integrity of the breast prosthesis

Every day we see in our Breast Pathology Unit more and more women who have breast implants not only for aesthetic treatments, but also as part of the reconstruction of a breast cancer treatment.

Breast prostheses have evolved over time with the intention of extending their duration and avoiding breakage due to wear and tear, which requires replacement.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging is the technique of choice for assessing alterations in the integrity of breast implants.

In a MRI we can evaluate if there are changes inside the prosthesis that suggest a rupture of the membrane that covers the breast implant, being the rupture limited to the interior of the fibrous capsule that contains the implant. This would be the first stage indicating prosthesis wear in a radiological evaluation.

If the rupture progresses, the silicone can escape from the capsule by migrating outside the capsule. This is what we call an extracapsular rupture. This complication requires replacement of the prosthesis and removal of the free silicone to avoid its harmful effects. Free silicone generates an inflammatory reaction because the body recognizes it as foreign.

Sometimes the free silicone migrates towards the axillary ganglions depositing itself in its interior, being easily detectable in a revision by Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Ultrasound can detect extracapsular ruptures and sometimes changes in the structure but it is important to detect the intracapsular rupture to foresee the replacement of the prosthesis before the silicone remains in free form outside the capsule.

A revision by Magnetic Resonance with uncomplicated prosthesis allows us to discard all these findings that we have described, being unlikely a rupture in the following months and allowing to avoid a replacement of the implants for the moment.