Breast augmentations and breast lifts are a very popular procedure, but in some cases, the outcome may not achieve the results you expected.
Why undergo breast revision surgery?
After breast augmentation, it can be very distressing to develop a cosmetic or medical issue and need to plan another surgery. At Precision Medical Arts, we perform custom breast revision surgeries to address these issues and leave you with the breasts you envision. Some of the issues that arise and will require revision surgery include:
- Capsular contracture: This condition develops when the scar tissue surrounding the implant contracts, changing the shape of the implant. It can be very painful. To correct this issue, the implant and the surrounding scar capsule must be removed, and a new implant must be placed. Some women choose to restore their breasts to their original size, removing both implants, and replacing both.
- Pain or discomfort: If you experience pain or discomfort, it is important that you have your condition evaluated by a medical professional. In some cases, the pain is the result of the body’s overproduction of scar tissue, or capsular contracture, which must be surgically resolved.
- Implant rupture (rare): When a saline implant ruptures, it is obvious, as the breast deflates. Silicone implant rupture is far less obvious, as the silicone gel remains within the pocket of scar tissue. It is advised that all breast augmentation patients undergo an MRI three years after the surgery, and every two years thereafter, according to the FDA. This test can identify if the implant is ruptured.
- Poorly positioned implants: The breast implants must be properly positioned during surgery. If the implants are placed too high, it can leave the breast looking unusual, with a bulging upper portion and the nipple tipping downward. When too close together, too low, or too far to the sides, the result will be far less pleasing, and may look unnatural. Breast revision surgery can correct these issues.
- A desire to change breast size: Over time, your concept of beauty may change, and along with it, you may choose to change the size of your implants to smaller or larger. In other cases, the primary augmentation may have failed to achieve the breast size you wanted.
- Older implants requiring replacement: Breast implants do not last forever and will eventually need to be replaced. If your implants are in good shape and are not causing you any difficulty, there is no need to undergo a revision. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgery, breast implants will generally be replaced on average at 12 years in the US, hoever, this is not a hard rule. As implant technology continues to evolve, this number continues to vary. Most women can expect one to two implant replacement surgeries over a lifetime.
- Symmastia: Symmastia is a condition in which both breasts appear to have merged into a single breast. This condition is caused when the skin and muscle between the two breasts, covering the breast bone, detaches. This causes the two surgical pockets to merge into one, which can be surgically corrected.
- The desire to change from saline to silicone, or vice versa: Some women have saline implants and wish to replace them with silicone. Silicone implants more closely mimic the weight and bounce of natural breast tissue. Other women may choose to switch to saline implants due to health considerations.
