MRI is the best test for detecting implant rupture (other than surgery) with a very high accuracy rate, much higher and mammogram, ultra sound or physical exam. I think it is prudent for patients with gel implants, say 10 years old or older to get an MRI to make sure there is not a silent rupture. If a patient has saline implants, there is no possibility of a silent rupture so an MRI would be worthless unless there is another reason for MRI (cancer detection for example). I often have patients who are coming in to have their old gel implants removed regardless if they are intact or ruptured and in those cases I don’t really think an MRI is absolutely necessary. Yes, it is nice for the surgeon to know ahead of time if there is a rupture but honestly, I approach every implant removal as if the implant is ruptured. I try to do an en block resection and have everything ready in the event the implant is ruptured and there is silicone spillage. We have special suction set up for ruptured implants and also some old fashioned surgical lap pads ready for clean up. And even with a rupture, it’s usually not as messy and one might think it would be. Even the messiest cases almost always allow the surgeon to scoop out the gel and then get all of the capsule.
“Just relax. It doesn’t hurt one bit but it is a little noisy.”
In Seattle at Swedish Medical Center, as of 2017, an out-of-pocket MRI to rule out breast implant rupture is about $1300 – $2200. If you pay up front, you get the lower price. The actual procedure requires the patient to lie prone (on the stomach) with the breasts hanging though these little openings in the MRI bed. It’s important to lie really, really still for a good image. MRI does not involve any irradiation so don’t worry about that but it can be kinda noisy with pings and dings. When I had my knee scanned, they gave me earplugs. And after an MRI, please make sure you get the radiologist report. It is more useful than the actual MRI itself. Plastic surgeons are not experts at reading MRI’s although we can usually see an obvious rupture. More subtle things may not be obvious to us.
Thanks for reading and if you are concerned about your oldish gel implants and an MRI will either ease your mind or prod you into action, you should get one! If are ready to bid goodbye to your oldish implants regardless of their status, come on in. I’m here to help!
Thanks for reading! Dr. Lisa Lynn Sowder. Follow me on Instagram @sowdermd and @breastimplantsanity.
@lisalynnsowder
