Am I a Candidate for Breast Revision?

If you are unhappy with the appearance of your breast implants or have experienced a complication, you may be a good candidate for breast revision surgery. Breast revision surgery can also be performed after breast lift surgery or breast reduction to adjust or improve the surgical results.

Individuals seeking this procedure should be non-smokers in good health, at or close to their ideal weight, and have no problems complying with pre and post-surgical instructions.

The most common cause of dissatisfaction with breast augmentation results is not achieving the desired increase in breast size. Some women choose to exchange their existing implants with larger ones. Others opt to swap their current implants with smaller implants; however, a breast lift may be necessary if this switch leads to premature breast sagging.

Besides aesthetic changes, other reasons for breast implant removal include implant complications. Examples of this that may require revision include:

Bottoming Out

Bottoming out occurs when an implant drops to the lower pole of the breast. This can lead to volume loss in the upper portion of the breast or the nipple appearing unnaturally high.

Capsular Contracture

Scar tissue is expected to form around the implant. Sometimes this scar tissue hardens and squeezes the implant, resulting in significant discomfort and/or an altered breast shape.

Double Bubble Deformity

This complication is similar to bottoming out but occurs when the breast implant descends so low that it partially falls beneath the breast crease, creating a “bubble” under the crease or the appearance of a double breast.

Implant Ruptures

A ruptured saline implant is easy to detect, but a ruptured silicone implant may require an MRI to visualize the tear. Either way, correction requires breast revision surgery.

Poor Positioning

Breast implants placed too close or too far apart or implants that fail to settle into the correct position can appear unnatural, requiring a secondary breast procedure.

Rotation of Teardrop-Shaped Implants

Anatomical or teardrop-shaped implants offer a more tapered, natural shape. However, a complication that can occur with these is rotation in the breast pocket, creating an oblong or misshapen appearance. This can also happen when anatomical implants are placed incorrectly.

Symmastia

Breast implants placed too close to the middle of the chest can cause the skin over the sternum to tent between each breast, making them appear connected.

If you are experiencing any of the above complications or are unhappy with your previous breast surgery results, please contact Dr. Schultz to schedule a consultation.