Will my breast implants pop in a car accident?

Patients occasionally ask me about the durability of breast implants.  They are concerned that the implants may pop or fail if they get in an accident or fall.  Although anything is possible, usually a failure occurs in an implant that has been in for a long time and the shell wears out.  An earlier failure can be due to leakage at the fill valve or a “fold flaw” of the implant.  This occurs when the implant folds in its capsule causing a wear point.  This risk can be minimized by overfilling saline implants and creating the appropriate sized pocket relative to the implant.