Breast Implant Replacement or Lift After Capsular Contracture?

I am a 39 years old with 300 cc saline textured breast implants over the muscle for 15 years. Almost a year ago, I noticed hardness and discomfort on my right implant and confirmed I have a grade 2 capsular contracture. I am undecided whether to replace implants with smooth saline ones or remove them altogether and get a breast lift.

I was a size A breast but have had 2 kids. I am a full B cup with implants. I wonder if having the additional scars from a breast lift with smaller breasts will be more difficult psychologically than just having them replaced? My objective is really to avoid having further breast surgeries!

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12 Doctor Answers | Asked by breastconfused in Florida

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Decision for lift or implant replacement

I am assumming that you have saline implants in place. If you do and if youare going to do some type of surgical procedure you could have the salt water drained from the implants in the office with a simple needle and syringe. This will give your and your surgeon an idea as to what amount of breast tissue is there and give you a better idea what would be left with a lift alone. Once you get the idea of the volume you have there you can decide if you want more volume(add implants) or willing... more

What is the right breast procedure for me?

Hi there- The best advice I could give you, and it is what I would tell my sister, is that you first must firmly decide what you would like to look like, taking into consideration all of your other thoughts about your preferred lifestyle, clothing choices, etc... Once you have a good understanding of the appearance that you want to present to the world; the one that will keep you smiling as you walk by mirrors and shop windows, then it's appropriate to research the options for achieving that loo more

Implant Replacement and lift

Your contracted saline implants need to be removed along with a complete capsulectomy and creation of a new virgin space for a new implant. I would replace with gel implants and perform an areolar reduction and lift, however as long as you have implants you will always have to deal with reality that another surgery is likely in your future as these devices like all man made devices are prone to failure, wear and tear and someday need replacement. Removal without replacement will likely... more

Breast lift versus Mastopexy - What's the best option

Hi Confused, The best option ultimately has to decided upon by you. If you really want to avoid having future surgery, your best option is to have your implants removed and to have a breast lift. Because the majority of your breasts are implant, the continued presence of implants will likely mean more surgery as you get older. Unfortunately, removing your implants and performing a mastopexy probably will not look all that nice. Not only will your breasts return to an A cup, but the... more

Breast implant replacement OR a Breast lift

Dear Confused, If your stated goal is REALLY "to avoid having further breast surgeries! " THEN you should have your implants removed and have a breast lift. Placing an implant guarantees that those implants WOULD leak sometime in the next twenty years and have a 15% chance of capsule formation (probably higher in you since you already have it). A breast lift without implants would produce smaller but perkier breasts. (In addition, your large areolae would be reduced to a more... more

Breast lift or implant removal and replacement

SEE VIDEO BELOW: The most important sentence you have written is: "My objective is really to avoid having further breast surgeries!" If this is the most important issue than you should remove the implants altogether and have a breast lift. Your breasts may be small but this is the only way to minimize the chance for future surgery. see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant replacement

Quite honestly, you do not have a very good looking result at this point from your augmentation. Above the muscle saline is suboptimal and exchanging the implants for below the muscle gel with a lift would make you look so much better.

Surgery for Capsular Contracture

There's good new here believe it or not. Nowadays the risk of capsular contracture is very small with submuscular implants. I thing the majority of the capsular contracture had to do with either the antibiotics placed into the pocket during augmentation or the bleed of silicone oil from the implants. Either way none of that happens today. So you do need a minor lift but this can be done via periareolar incisions, i.e. no vertical scars. I would recommend removing the implants and... more

Breast lift

If you have your implants removed completely, you may not have enought tisue to perform an adequate breast lift. I suggest that you get evaluated for a capsulectomy possible implant exchange and a circumareola lift to reduce the areola and tighten the skin envelope as one option.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant replacement vs. removal and breast lift

You probably don't have much breast tissue of your own if you started out as an A cup and have had 2 children. If you remove the implants and have a breast lift done, your breasts will be quite small and flat and you will have new scars on your breasts that you may not like. Most patients who have had implants for a long time are used to having them and may have difficulty coping with much smaller breasts if they are removed and not replaced. It you choose to have the implants replaced,... more

Breast Implant Replacement with Capsular Contracture

I think you will get your best result with replacement of your implants to a submuscular location with a modest breast lift. I would not use textured implants and would prefer silicone. I do not feel that you have enough breast tissue to be happy with removal of implants/mastopexy. You probably had some involution of your breast tissue with your pregnancies also.