Leakage of ruptured silicone breast implants through abdominal laparoscopic port sites: A rare complication following transabdominoplasty breast augmentation.

Background: Abdominoplasty and breast augmentation are two of the most commonly performed aesthetic procedures in the UK. When performed as a combined procedure, separate inframammary and abdominoplasty incisions are most frequently used. Transabdominoplasty breast augmentation, performed via a single abdominoplasty incision is also described.

Case: A 69-year-old female, having undergone a transabdominoplasty breast augmentation 20 years previously, was diagnosed with ascending colon cancer and admitted for a laparoscopic-assisted, right hemi-colectomy. Despite all the port sites being abdominal and below the inframammary fold, on their removal, silicone from ruptured breast implants was leaking through the port sites.

Outcome: The patient subsequently underwent an uneventful explantation of bilateral, ruptured, subglandular implants and recovered well.

Learning Points: We recommend that breast implant explantation should be considered when patients indicated for elective intra-abdominal surgery are noted to have ruptured breast implants on staging CT imaging, especially when inserted via an abdominoplasty approach.