It is very difficult to tell if your silicone implant is leaking. The gold standard test is an MRI of the breasts. Many times, there are no physical signs of the silicone implant leaking. On physical examination, your plastic surgeon can often feel the edge of the intact silicone implant shell. The lack of this shell palpation does not rule in (or rule out) a leak. Not being able to palpate the shell of the implant may be a sign of leaking or just the thickness of local breast tissue obscuring the palpation of the implant. A sudden change in the size, shape or feeling of your breasts should direct you to follow up with your plastic surgeon as soon as possible.