Newsletter

Breast Implant Revisions

Having regular breast examinations after implant surgery is extremely important. Whether you have saline or silicone implants, the key to minimizing common complications is regular follow up. The most common complication after surgery is breast firmness. A hard breast implant occurs when the capsule your body forms around the implant becomes tight and firm. The reason for hardening is still unknown, but theories of subtle infections and trauma are circulating in the plastic surgery community. If you notice one or both of your breasts becoming firm over time, make an appointment to come into our office as soon as possible. When caught early on routine follow-up, improvements in the capsular contracture or tightening of the capsule are possible with simple oral medication. For more advanced cases where the breasts are excessively firm, surgery is typically necessary. During the short procedure, the firm capsule around the breast implant is removed and the implant is replaced.

Another common complication is rupture of the implant. If you have a saline breast implant, your breasts will rapidly deflate if you were to have a rupture. Ruptured silicone implants are more difficult to diagnose particularly with the newest “gummy bear” or cohesive gel implants. In these cases, even an MRI may not be able to accurately diagnose the rupture. If you suspect your silicone implant is ruptured, we strongly encourage you to come to our office so a clinical examination can be performed to diagnose the problem. Often capsular contracture or a deformed breast implant, are the first stages of a silicone breast implant rupture. If diagnosed early, a ruptured implant can easily be replaced with another implant. The analogy of changing a battery in a cell phone battery compartment is very appropriate as the pocket for the breast implant already exists and all that has to be done is to replace the ruptured implant. If your breast becomes firm because it has been a long time since the ruptured implant, a simultaneous capsulectomy will have to be performed as well as the implant exchange.

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