Breast Revison – Correction Surgery
Breast surgery can be very challenging in secondary and tertiary revision cases in someone who has undergone multiple surgeries. Over time, some patients may experience thinning of their breast tissue, excessive scarring, malposition of the implant, capsular contraction or implant rupture.
Using techniques combining breast reconstruction and breast enhancement, Dr. Park can perform correctional surgery for both primary breast problems as well as secondary cases from multiple previous surgeries.
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Breast augmentation, over time, may pose some conditions where a woman may decide or need to undergo a secondary breast revision or breast reoperation procedure. Some of these conditions include:
- Capsular Contracture
- Breast implant malposition
- Breast implant rupture
- Bottoming out syndrome – the downward moving of the breast implant past the inframammary fold
- Ptosis – extreme sagging of the breast
- Desire a change of look
Approximately 15% of all women who undergo breast augmentation may suffer from capsular contracture at one time or another. The exact reason for capsular contrature is not known, however, there is strong evidence to indicate that infection could be a probable cause.
Malposition of the breast implant could occur as a result of improper surgical placement of the original breast implant or problems that could occur with anatomically correct breast implant moving from their original location.
In all cases, breast implant deflation will require breast revision surgery. Breast implant deflation can occur as a result of many reason which include:
- Breast Implant Age – The longevity of breast implants are typically rated at no more than 10 years. They may simply wear out and deflate
- Breast Implant Trauma – Excessive squeezing or hard impacts to the breast may result in rupturing the implant.
- Breast Implant Wear and Tear – Many times sutures are placed in contact with the breast implant causing the implant to prematurely wear out.
- Overfilling/Underfilling Breast Implant Capacity – Filling and implant past or under it’s manufacturers recommended capacity can also lead to premature breast implant failure.
Breast implant deflation of newer breast implants are uncommon though. In many cases the breast manufacture may warrant their implants for a specified number of years. Check with your surgeon if your implants are covered by a breast implant warranty.
Bottoming out can occur when the inframmary fold loses it’s “adheasion” to the chest wall and the implant begins to move down past the natural boundaries of the breast. Skin laxity could play a part in this. However, attempts by the original surgeon to move or modify the inframmary fold could also be a reason for bottoming out.
Over time, very large breast implants may cause ptosis in some women and they may desire to have a lift. Skin laxity and gravity are the primary reasons for this condition.
For a certain number of women they may just want to change the look of their breast. Some choose to be larger than they are now or in some cases go smaller. In either case breast revision surgery is an option for them to meet their goals of how they want to look.
Correcting any of these conditions requires breast revision correction surgery. This process requires removing the failed breast implant and or augmentation and replacing it with a new breast implant. In some cases the surgeon may feel its necessary to remove and replace both implants.
Sometimes a woman may decide to remove the implant altogether in which during the revision surgery a breast lift may be performed. Other options include having a breast lift (Mastopexy) in combination with a breast augmentation. This would be to correct sagging breast or ptosis from when the breast first underwent breast augmentation.
What can a woman expect during breast revision surgery?
General and local anesthesia is generally used and when applicable, the original scars are used as incision points. One implant may be removed and replaced and depending upon the age of the original implants, both breast implants may be replaced.
How long is the recovery from breast revision surgery?
Breast revision surgery typically is not as tramatic to the woman’s body as the initial breast augmentation surgery was. Therefore, pain and recovery is considerably less. The patient can usually expect to be back to work and or their normal activities within a week. Complete recover will usually take about three to four weeks.
Breast manufactures, Mentor and Allergan, have limited lifetime warranties on many of their breast implants and may cover portions of the revision surgery costs due to breast implant failure or deflation. However, you still may be required to pay a portion of the revision surgery costs.
