Detection of gel implant rupture: a clinical test.

This report outlines a simple clinical test for detection of a ruptured smooth, predominantly gel breast implant in a noncontracted capsule. The test is rapid and extremely simple to perform and has been used by me since 1979. Approximately 630 patients meeting these criteria have been examined with this method, many annually. Five ruptured implants were detected, and there were no false-positive results. There also were no false-negative results, although only 72 patients had surgical confirmation of implant integrity. The radiographic measures helpful for detecting a ruptured gel implant are also discussed. In this series, the clinical test was more accurate than mammography for detecting implant rupture in the absence of capsular contracture.