Reasons for Breast Implant Revision

Oct 6, 2012 @ 05:22 AM — by Patricia Berbari

Tagged with: Breast Augmentation Plastic Surgery

Breast augmentation is a popular choice for women who are dissatisfied with the size or shape of their breasts. Most breast augmentation surgeries produce successful results. However, on occasion, complications may occur or a patient may find themselves dissatisfied with the results of surgery. At Dr. Patricia Berbari’s Ottawa plastic surgery practice, breast implant revision is available to correct an array of problems and leave patients satisfied with the appearance of their breasts.

For our patients in Ottawa, breast augmentation is a procedure that can increase a woman’s breast size and improve the overall shape and appearance of the breasts to renew a woman’s confidence. In some cases, complications may occur that leave a woman unhappy with the results of breast augmentation surgery. The most common reasons for breast implant revision can be broken down into three categories; surgical placement, problems with the implants themselves, or problems with the patient’s tissue characteristic.

Problems with Surgical Placement

When it comes to surgical placement of breast implants, there are two options available. Implants can be placed either above or below the chest muscle. Some of the problems that can occur due to surgical placement are:

Visual Irregularities: When implants are placed above the muscle, they can sometimes be seen through the skin if the patient does not have a lot of breast tissue. This usually becomes a problem if an under-filled implant becomes wrinkled or loses shape.
Bottoming out: If implants are placed incorrectly in the breast, theycan look like they are “bottoming out” or dropping too low. Sometimes this problem is the result of a surgical mistake, but it can also be a natural side effect of an implant that is placed above, rather than below the muscle.

Cosmetic Reasons

Breast implant revision can also be requested if a patient is unhappy with the appearance of her implants. It is difficult to know how your implants will look on your body during the planning stages prior to surgery. After healing is complete, a woman may decide that she would like to change the size of her implants, usually to a larger size. In some cases a woman may wish that she had gone with a different type of implant.

Implant Leakage or Rupture

Breast augmentation patients should know that these products do not last forever,The longer the implant has been in use, the more likely it is to develop a leak or rupture. Most patients can expect their implants to have at least a 10-year lifespan. In a small number of cases, a leak may occur in the early years as a result of a product defect, bad fall, or accident.If an implant leaks, breast implant revision will be necessary.

Adverse Reaction to the Breast Implant

Some patients will need breast implant revision if their tissue reacts negatively to the breast implants. When this happens, the breasts harden as the tissue squeezes the implant. This condition can cause physical pain and can also change the shape of the breasts so they no longer look natural or attractive.

Breast Implant Revision Surgery

While it can be discouraging to encounter problems after breast augmentation, there is no need to settle for inadequate results. The following solutions are available:

If a woman’s implant looks as though it has dropped too low or it has become visible through the skin of the chest wall, Dr. Berbari can change the placement of the breast implant. We usually recommend that the implant be placed below the chest muscle to give the breasts a more natural appearance.
Patients who decide they would like a different size implant or those who are unhappy with the type of implant that was used can have Dr. Berbari replace their implants to meet their specifications.
When a patient’s tissue reacts negatively to the breast implant, they will need to undergo a capsulectomy. This surgery can be performed to remove the breast implant and the surrounding capsule. New implants can be placed and we may change the placement of the implant as well if Dr. Berbari believes it is necessary.

Schedule a Consultation

If you are unhappy with the results of breast augmentation surgery, schedule a consultation with Dr. Patricia Berbari to see what solutions are available for you.