Breast implant revision surgery. What should I think about?

Unlike diamonds, breast implants don’t last forever.

My general advice for implants is if “it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”  If you have a small issue- one side looks a hair different than the other, one nipple is a hair different- those are difficult things to fix.  Implants are tricky things and your body is even trickier.  No one is symmetric.  The forces on your implants and healing are not symmetric.  (Do you carry your purse/baby/backpack always on one side? Do you sleep on one side? Are you right handed? Left? Do you sleep on your tummy? How good are your bras? Do you golf? play tennis? jog?)

So let’s say you have a medium to bigger issue.  What would that be? Asymmetry, bottoming out, implant migration, capsular contracture, size issue, or droop.  Then a breast revision makes more sense.

When you replace breast implants, what you do varies.  Things you need to think about:

Do you want to

• change the fill of the implant (gel or saline)
• change the plane of the implant (above or below muscle)
• change size
• change width and projection (profile of implant)
• change shape (round or anatomic)
• change shell surface (textured or smooth)
• do pocket work to move where the implant sits (particularly useful if too high, bottomed out, or has migrated into your armpit)
• do breast lift if needed.
• try to fix capsular contractures or other issues?

Usually breast revision surgery and/ or implant exchange is one procedure.  We remove the old implants, do what we need to do, and then place new implants.

SO

• If you are going to do a revision breast surgery, get a copy of your operation report and implant card.  If your surgeon has retired, the operating center may have it.  It is very useful to know exactly what was done and what you have.
• Take the time to be exact in what you want changed. Make a “dream wish list.”  (Changes all have pros and cons and risks- we may not be able to do it all.)  But it is good to really analyze your breasts and try to improve where you can.
• If you are happy with your implants, do not do anything.  I don’t recommend exchanging implants just to change them out.  Every time you do surgery it is a little like rolling the dice in Vegas.  Being a girl from Reno, I have never liked the odds of gambling.  Remember when you “fix” one thing, you run the risk of creating something else, surgery risks, cost, recovery, etc.