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Breast Implant Revision Surgery - Explant and replacement

Before breast implant removal and replacement

After breast implant removal and replacement

This 25 year old patient from Palm Desert, California had her first breast augmentation surgery performed in Mexico. A few... months after getting her breast implants, she noticed that she had developed symmastia (the implants were touching down the mid-line) and her implants were bottoming out. She had a uni-boob (as some call it). The patient was extremely upset about the results and worried about having revisionary surgery. Symmastia - commonly referred to as "breadloafing" or "uni-boob", occurs when two implants touch one another in the center of the chest. If the horizontal muscle that is connected to the sternum and goes across the implant is cut during surgery, then the implant can move toward the middle of the chest. Symmastia results from overly aggressive attempts to alter chestwall anatomy trying to increase cleavage in patients. This outcome is made worse by use of larger implants in thin patients, and is a problem for implants over or under the muscle, though submuscular implant placement allows the muscle to provide some softening of the transition to the cleavage area from the augmented breast mound. She had bottoming out of both breast implants, encapsulation of both sides (left > right), and the areola were displaced laterally on both sides. This patient is only 3 months and 1 week out of surgery, so there is still some bruising and swelling. This patient chose to have silicone gel implants. more »