5 Things to Know About Breast Implants: Monitoring is Crucial

5. Monitoring is crucial.

The FDA recommends that women with breast implants:

• promptly report any unusual signs or symptoms to their health care providers, and
• report any serious side effects to MedWatch, FDA’s safety information and adverse event reporting program.

Furthermore, women with silicone implants should get MRI screenings to detect silent ruptures three years after their surgery and every two years after that. 

Insurance may not cover these screenings.

Gretchen Burns, a nurse consultant at FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH)  recommends that women with breast implants continue to perform self-examinations and get mammograms to look for early signs of cancer.

“Just because you have implants doesn’t mean you can ignore other breast health recommendations,” she says.