Breast Implant Revision

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Breast implant revision is a procedure that removes or replaces breast implants. Breast augmentation, or enlargement, is one of the most common cosmetic procedures in the United States.

Breast implants are not lifetime devices. The longer you have breast implants, the more likely you are to experience complications, including:

Scar tissue that distorts the shape of the breast (capsular contracture)

Changes in the contour or shape of the breast

Rippling or wrinkling of the skin overlying your breast implant

Breast pain

Implant leakage or rupture

Changes in nipple and breast sensation

Implant removal with or without replacement may be performed to treat some of these complications. Breast implant revision also may be done for several other reasons, including:

You don’t like how the implants look or feel and want them replaced with different ones (saline-filled or silicone gel-filled)

You want to remove your implants but not replace them (implant removal)

Breast implant revision surgery is a procedure to replace or remove your breast implants.

You might need breast implant revision surgery if you have complications from breast implants, such as:

breast implant rupture

capsular contracture — a condition in which the scar tissue around the implant becomes tight, causing pain and changing the shape of the breast

asymmetry — a condition in which your breasts don’t match in size or shape

If you don’t have any complications with your breast implants, they can be expected to last for years. But they don’t last forever. Breast implants are not lifetime devices, so you might need to have more surgery to remove or replace them at some point.

What is Breast Implant Revision?

Breast implant revision is a surgical procedure to change the size or style of a breast implant. It can also correct problems that occur after implant surgery. In some cases, it can be done as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia. In other cases, the patient may need to stay in the hospital for one night.

What are the reasons for this surgery?

Reasons for Breast Implant Revision:

To correct issues that occur after breast augmentation surgery, such as leakage or capsular contracture

To change the size of the implants

To replace old implants with new ones

Breast implant revision is a procedure to change your existing breast implants. You may choose to have the surgery if you no longer like the size or shape of your breasts, if you have scar tissue around your implant (capsular contracture), if you have a rupture or leak in an implant, or in response to changes that occur in your body over time.

Not all breast implants are permanent. If your implants are temporary and you want to keep them, you will need to have replacement surgery at some point.

The decision to change your breast implants is a personal one; there’s no right answer for every woman who has breast augmentation surgery. Even women with obvious problems may choose not to have revision surgery. And some women who decide on revision surgery later regret their decision.

If you’re considering changing your implants, it’s important to talk about the procedure and its potential risks with a board-certified plastic surgeon who has extensive experience with breast implant surgery. The surgeon should be willing to answer all of your questions and talk about the details of the procedure so that you can make an informed decision about whether revision surgery is right for you.

Breast implant revision is a procedure to correct problems with breast implants. Breast implants are medical devices that are placed under the breast tissue or under the chest muscle to increase breast size (augmentation) or to rebuild breast tissue after mastectomy or other damage to the breast (reconstruction).

The most common reasons for having a breast implant revision surgery are:

Removal of old implants and placement of new implants.

Removal of old implants only.

Repair of existing implants.

Correction of the position of existing implants.

Replacement of damaged or defective implants.

The surgeon will recommend the best choice for each individual after examining the patient and discussing her needs, wishes, and expectations. The surgical goal is to achieve an attractive, natural-looking result while keeping surgery as simple and uncomplicated as possible.

Is Breast Implant Revision Painful?

If you are considering breast implant revision surgery, you have probably heard that the recovery process is much easier than with the initial breast augmentation. With all surgeries, there will be some pain and discomfort involved in the healing process. Thankfully, here at The Piazza Center for Plastic Surgery and Advanced Skin Care we use a few tricks to help minimize your pain and discomfort during your breast implant revision surgery:

Pain medication. We prescribe pain medication to our patients to help them through their recovery. Breast implant revision patients can expect a milder prescription than they received after their initial augmentation because of the less invasive nature of this procedure.

Numbing medicine. At The Piazza Center, we inject an anesthetic directly into the incision site before beginning your revision surgery which helps reduce any pain or discomfort during the surgery. We also sometimes place drain tubes during this procedure which are left in place for a few days after your surgery to help keep swelling down.

Although there is some discomfort involved in a breast implant revision, most patients find their pain to be well managed with prescription pain medication. Many of my patients are able to return to work within two weeks of surgery. My patient’s comfort is of the utmost importance to me and I will do everything I can do make this experience as easy as possible for you.

Breast implant revision surgery is a procedure to change or remove breast implants. You might choose to have breast implant revision surgery if you no longer like the appearance of your implants, if your implants are causing a health problem, or if an implant has ruptured.

Breast implant revision surgery is usually done under general anesthesia and can take from a few hours to several hours. The procedure may be done in an outpatient center or at the hospital.

You may have some pain during the first few days after surgery. Your doctor will give you pain medicine that you can take as needed and probably prescribe antibiotics to help prevent infection.

It’s normal for your breasts to feel hard and tight right after surgery, but they will soften and feel more natural over time. Bruising and swelling are common, but they subsided within a couple of weeks.

Breast implant revision is typically performed as an outpatient procedure. The surgery takes 1 to 3 hours to perform, depending on the complexity of the case. Most women require general anesthesia for breast implant revision, although some may opt for local anesthesia with IV sedation.

During the procedure, your surgeon will create a new incision in the same location as your primary breast augmentation. In addition to saline and silicone gel implants, many surgeons use cohesive silicone gel implants that are designed to hold their shape if they rupture. These are referred to as “gummy bear” implants because they maintain their shape when cut in half like a gummy bear.

“Breast implant revision is a type of breast augmentation surgery. It can involve removing or replacing the implants and correcting the result of a previous operation.

How Soon After Breast Augmentation Can I Get a Revision?

If you are unhappy with the results of your breast augmentation and want to get a revision, the best time to do so is when you have completely healed from your surgery. For most women, this is approximately six months after their initial procedure.

For some women, complications (or the need for corrective surgery) may arise soon after getting breast implants, and they may need to undergo a revision surgery much sooner than six months later. However, this is not common.

The answer to your question is that it depends.

In general, once you have had breast augmentation, I would wait at least six months before doing a revision. This is because the implants can and do settle in the body over the first six months. In the right patient, a revision can be done at two months after surgery, but this is not something that I would recommend for most women.

During the initial healing period, it is normal for the breasts to feel hard or stiff. They will also feel somewhat unnatural and different than what patients are used to. The sensation of hardness is caused by a variety of factors and in general, this sensation will subside over time as your body adjusts to the implants and their presence inside your body.

After several months, or when you feel that the breasts have softened and look like they are settling into position, then it may be time to have a revision if needed.

The purpose of the revision is to change implant size or shape if necessary, correct capsular contracture if present, correct asymmetry between the right and left breast (the breasts will always be slightly asymmetric but should look balanced), etc.

The answer is: it depends. A revision breast surgery can be performed at any time provided that the existing implants haven’t reached their expected life span. Old or ruptured implants will need to be replaced (revision) even if it’s been only a few weeks since they were initially placed.

It’s usually recommended that you wait at least three months until considering revision after breast augmentation, except in the case of a rupture or a cosmetic issue that cannot be remedied by another means. This waiting period allows the implant pockets to remodel, which may help you achieve your final results without having to undergo additional surgery.

The timing of a revision depends on the type of surgery.

See also Round vs Teardrop Implants

If you’ve had a breast augmentation and have developed capsular contracture (scar tissue around the implant that causes hardness, pain, and changing shape) and wish to have it removed or replaced with a new implant, I would recommend waiting at least 3-6 months after your initial surgery before having a revision. This is because your body will continue to adjust to the foreign body over time, and it’s important to allow for as much of this to occur naturally before undergoing another surgery. However, if you are experiencing pain or other significant symptoms from capsular contracture, you may consider undergoing a revision sooner.

If you’ve had a breast lift or breast reduction in addition to the augmentation, I would recommend waiting 6 months after your initial surgery before having a revision. This is because your breasts will continue to change in size and shape over time as they settle into their final position and as you lose/gain weight. If you’re considering any additional changes on top of what was done during your initial surgery (e.g., changing the size or shape of your implants), I would still wait at least 6 months before having a revision so that you can see how your body acclimates to the initial

Generally speaking, it is best to wait until at least the end of the first year to evaluate the results of your breast augmentation. This will give you time for the implant to settle, and for the swelling in your breasts to resolve. I’m not sure why you would want a revision this early in the game. Your breasts are still swollen, and they will look much better in time.

If there are any specific issues that you’re concerned about, I would discuss these with your plastic surgeon. He or she will be able to assess what your options are going forward.

At least 3 months must be allowed after a breast augmentation to allow the tissues to settle. The implant is placed into the pocket that is created during surgery, much like putting a chicken inside of a pocket. The pocket is created by pushing aside the breast tissue/fat and then placing an implant in that spot. While the pocket may initially be where you want it, over time, there are forces that may cause it to change. These can include forces from the implants themselves, changes in your body weight (both fat tissue and muscle mass), and even just normal healing processes. If you undergo a revision too soon you will not know if the implant has settled into its final position or if your body has changed enough to warrant a larger or smaller implant. This would lead to additional surgeries and additional costs in the future.

The average time for these processes to occur is about 3 months, although some occur sooner and others take longer. It varies patient by patient based on many factors including how much of your own breast tissue/fat was pushed aside to make room for the implant, where on your chest wall the implant was placed (upper pole vs lower pole), how much pre-existing tissue/fat you had prior to surgery, whether you have had other procedures such as lipos

Immediate revision is possible. If the implant is still in the pocket, it can be replaced. If it has already been removed, you can have a second surgery to replace it.

Selective use of silicone implants and the pain associated with them has been common for years. Since silicone implants are not FDA approved, they are only available through clinical trials which require strict conditions and criteria. The most restrictive of these criteria is the “one implant per lifetime” rule. This means that if you get silicone implants today and later want to change to a different size or feel that something went wrong, you can only have one more chance at silicone implants. You cannot try again and again until you get it right or give up your chance at silicone implants in order to switch to saline. Silicone gel leaks? You’re out of luck!

Saline implants are much less restrictive because they are FDA approved and there is no requirement that you have one implant per lifetime. You can go through as many revisions as needed with saline implants until you are happy with the results and there are no issues with the implant itself.