Acute Versus Chronic Rupture

Posted On: February 06, 2012 Author: The Office of Dr. Stuart Linder Posted In: Breast Implants, Breast Revision, Home

Patients present to my office weekly with acute and chronic ruptures. Often, the patients do not know when the implant ruptured; however, I am able to determine somewhat of a timeline by performing what I call a CSI Beverly Hills. As to when the implants may have ruptured can be determined in the operating room. The clearer the fluid usually indicates a more acute or early on ruptured. As the implants lays in the pocket for a longer period of time, over several months, the fluid then becomes yellow straw color with increased protein and fibrin. However, long-term chronic rupture can lead to a darker, almost urine color yellow. This can be associated with a rupture well over six months to a year.

We recommend our patients, as soon as we have identified a ruptured implant clinically or by diagnostic testing with silicone implants with an MRI, have the implants removed and replaced and the scar tissue released as soon as possible to reduce the risk of increased encapsulation and complete collapse of the pocket. The examples below show you a rupture of over six months with a deep yellow fluid collection in the implant versus an acute rupture with a fluid leak through the valve and the clear fluid indicates that it is probably within the last couple of weeks.