Breast Implant Revision

Breast augmentation is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic surgeries in the United States, and both silicone and saline implants have undergone rigorous testing by the FDA to ensure their total safety for patients. However, the combination of popularity and safety of breast implants doesn’t necessarily guarantee perfect results every time.

There are a number of reasons women may consider breast implant revision:

• Asymmetrical Breast Revision: Every woman has some degree of natural asymmetry to her breasts, and if this is not accounted for properly during an initial breast augmentation by using implants of slightly different sizes, then even more marked asymmetry may be apparent following surgery. Breast implants may also seem asymmetrically placed after augmentation, if one breast rides too high, too low or off to one side. With breast implant revision surgery, Dr. Koehler can restore a balanced, beautiful look to your appearance.
• Capsular Contracture Revision: Scar tissue growth is a normal part of the body’s natural healing process. The body recognizes outside objects as a potential threat, and builds scar tissue around that object—in this case, a breast implant—to isolate it from the rest of the body. While the presence of scar tissue is expected around implants, some women may experience excessive scar tissue growth that can feel firm to the touch or even painful. Capsular contracture revision removes this scar tissue capsule to restore a soft, natural look and feel to your breasts again.
• Implant Removal (Explantation): Some women choose to have their implants completely removed. However, since the implants will stretch out the natural breast tissue and skin while in place, it may be necessary to reshape the breast during implant removal with a breast lift so your results will be as close to your pre-surgery figure after explantation as possible. Breast implant explantation is similar to the approach that Dr. Koehler would take during a standard breast reduction.
• Implant Replacement: The failure rate of breast implants is quite low, but can still occur. If you notice a rupture in your saline implants or suspect a leak in your silicone implants, Dr. Koehler can replace the faulty implants with new ones during breast revision surgery.
• Size Adjustments: A change in size is the most common reason women consider breast implant revision surgery, whether that means wanting a more dramatic look or implants that are more subtle. Dr. Koehler can help you choose the right size so you’re happier with your results the second time around.
• Synmastia/Symmastia: Sometimes called a “uniboob” or “bread loaf deformity,” synmastia (also spelled as symmastia) occurs when the breast implants are no longer separated properly and join together in the chest midline. This most often happens due to an overaggressive surgical approach in an initial breast augmentation that caused the surgical pockets to meet in the middle of the breast instead of remaining separate. Breast implant revision rebuilds the internal pockets to fully separate the breasts again.

Even if your specific concern isn’t listed above, the truth is that simply feeling unhappy with the results of a previous breast augmentation is reason enough to consider breast implant revision. You can also find answers to frequently asked questions about revision surgery in our Breast Revision FAQs.