Breast implant revision surgery

Breast implant revision surgery is a cosmetic surgical procedure that aims to correct the appearance of patients that have previously undergone breast augmentation and have problems with their breast implants. There is a multitude of reasons why patients might wish to have implant revision surgery ranging from ruptured or deflated implants, badly positioned implants, sagging skin and breast tissue around the implant following considerable weight loss or pregnancy and breastfeeding as well as dissatisfaction with the size or shape of the implants used during their initial breast augmentation procedure. Perhaps the most common reason for breast implant revisions is due to capsular contractures. This is the medical term for scar tissue that forms inside the breast, around the implant, which can cause severe pain, hardness and deformities.

Though some surgeons, (often those not properly trained and board certified as Plastic surgeons) believe that breast augmentation is a standard procedure that can be described as “easy” it is important to remember that beautiful results require careful planning and extensive experience on the plastic surgeon’s part. Each patient’s anatomy is slightly different and a successful breast augmentation procedure should take the individual patient’s characteristics into consideration. Implant revision can be a good option for patients who feel that their initial plastic surgery procedure left them with less than satisfactory results. Patients suffering from awkward positioning of the implants (two wide or two narrow gap between the two breast implants), unsatisfactory size (implants are too large or too small) as well as more serious and potentially harmful problems such as the breast implants rupturing or leaking are good candidates for breast implant revision surgery. If capsular contractures are the problem, then some or all of the scar tissue may need to be removed.

Breast implant revision surgery is tailored to each plastic surgery patient individually. The procedure can involve the removal and/or replacement of breast implants as well as the reshaping of the implant pocket and is often performed in conjunction with other plastic surgery procedures such as a breast lift.

As with any complex plastic surgery procedure, breast implant revision surgery patients will have individual recovery times and surgery risks to consider depending on the exact details of their planned procedure.