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Why Do Some Women Need Breast Augmentation Revision?

Posted in Breast Augmentation Revision

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When a woman considers her figure, she most likely will appraise her breasts because they define her femininity. Many women over the past generation looked to implants to shape their figure and improve their breast projection. With so many patients choosing implants, breast augmentation revision has become a popular aesthetic procedure to help women who are dealing with problems or unsatisfactory results.

According to a recent study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, almost all women said their breast augmentation results met or exceeded their desired goals. However, because of issues emerging after surgery like physical activity limitations, scar tissue, and complications, the outcomes for this surgery are not entirely predictable. If results become unsatisfactory over time, or there are adverse effects like implant rupture or rippling, breast revision surgery may be necessary.

Breast revision surgery is an option for women who are unhappy with the look or feel of their breasts after having implants. Here are the most common reasons women seek breast augmentation revision:

Size

Some women opt for implant revision because their breasts are too large, most choose because they are too small. Size matters with women who want to enhance their breast appearance and with many women, their natural size is not big enough. However, what’s trending is women who lead active lifestyles are choosing smaller implants than before, so there’s no impediment to their mobility.

Back to Natural

We are also seeing more women wanting to return to their natural breast tissue. This often happens with women who have had implants for years and wish to return to their distinctive contour. This option allows the patient less restriction and risk of complications.

Healthy living tissue must fill the void left by the implants which can be accomplished with a fat transfer. This procedure will offer the warm, soft breast they enjoyed when they were young.

Complications

Medical factors may have women choosing implant revision. These may include displacement, leakage or rupture, asymmetry or capsular contracture. Here are some corrective procedures Dr. Livingston includes in his breast augmentation revisions.

Implant Replacement or Removal

This type is the most common type of revision surgery. When implants suffer damage or cause other problems like rippling or capsular contracture, they are merely replaced with new ones. Smaller implants will need sutures to make the pocket smaller while large implants will need the pocket larger to make room for the new implant.

When the original implants stretch skin tissue in the breast area, including a breast lift with revision surgery can resolve this issue.

Capsulectomy

This revision will address capsular contracture, a hardening of the capsule and the implant. This complication occurs a few months or several years after breast augmentation surgery. Although not life-threatening, it can be painful and affect the shape and symmetry of breast appearance.

Many women are not aware capsular contracture can be corrected. Dr. Livingston will follow the initial incision with his own to remove the breast implant and the hardened capsule. After irrigating the area, he will replace the new implant.

Rippling

A common problem with saline implants is they produce visible ripples along the implant edges. Repositioning the implants or replacing them will correct this issue. Dr. Livingston may also create a new pocket to hide the rippling.

Reposition Implants

When the implants are too close or too far apart, Dr. Livingston can modify the pocket and improve implant position. He follows the original incision and removes any scar tissue in the capsule surrounding the implants. He may use natural tissue or a dermal matrix to add support for the restructured pocket.

Older Implants

Implants need replacing because of outside factors including implant failure, hormonal changes, or a change in body weight. Patients may want to change shape or size after a rupture, or they just want a new model of the breast implant.

Learn More 

For more information about how you can revise your breast augmentation surgery contact board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Chris Livingston to schedule a consultation or call  281-501-1812