2016 Volume 1 Issue 2 Pages 64-74
Regular checkups with an imaging examination is recommended for every woman who has undergone breast reconstruction surgery using silicone breast implants. We performed ultrasound to detect silent implant rupture in 829 SBIs, 3 years after breast reconstruction or contralateral breast augmentation surgery. Ten had clear evidence of rupture and 17 had minor signs indicating suspected rupture. We observed two signs of rupture, one is separation between the capsule and shell, and the other is high echo level of the inner silicone gel. Patients who have minor signs, such as inner-gel liquid or slight shell splitting, should be observed carefully. Replacement is recommended for patients whose SBI is obviously ruptured. Follow-up is recommended for patients who have minor signs and replacement surgery should be performed at an appropriate time so as not to lower their quality of life. Furthermore, these abnormal ultrasound signs are known to medical staff in not only special hospitals, but also in medical checkup facilities.
