Breast Implant Revision: Q&A

Ask a Question

Existing Saline Breast Implants - Would Like to Have a Lift/reduction/new Implants, Which Would Be Best For Me?

I have existing saline implants done in 1996 placed behind the pectoral muscle - Natural breast-size was 34C but wanted perkier breasts. But, didn't turn out perky after surgery at all.They have gotten droopier, heavier, oddly shaped, nipples aren't centered, etc. What procedure would you recommend? Reduction and/or Lift? Will I need new implants? Would love to finally have perky youthful natural looking breast, my existing scars are under armpits and I am concerned about scars on my breasts.

Tags:

Comment on this

12 Doctor Answers | Asked by laqtpie in Los Angeles, CA

Doctor Answers (12)
Community Comments (0)

Breast implant revision

First of all, you need to move beyond the concern about scars on the breasts because you need a full lift to tighten the laxity, raise the nipples and improve the symmetry. Without examining you, I can't say anything about exchanging the implants but this is commonly done too. But implant exchange alone won't help you at all because of the tissue laxity you have. A well performed artistic lift will give you a great result. Make sure you go to someone who can... more

Breast lift, new implants?

From what I can tell from your photos, you have a fair amount of asymmetry and a lax, large skin "envelope". Many patients, in an attempt to avoid additional scars on the breasts, try to avoid a lift and instead ask to have their loose skin "filled out" by larger and larger implants. Unfortunately, this usually leads to large, saggy breasts as opposed to "perky" ones, and their thin, damaged tissues continue to stretch and thin under the weight of... more

Switch your salines out for silicone gel implants

Your breasts will feel and look better if you switch them out to silicone gel implants. Looks like you would also benefit from a breast lift. I would have to examine you and make some measurements to suggest the best type of lift. Another approach is to remove the saline implants, not replace them and simply lift your breasts. It all depends on how you feel about this new larger size. How large are your salines now? Do you like your size now... more

Breast asymmetry is distressing

The conventional wisdom is that breasts are never identical twins but should ideally be "sisters". Your breasts are unmatched from nipple position, volume, amount of skin, and lie and the differences may have been getting worse over time. Your initial surgery was a transaxillary breast aug and while this approach doesn't leave a scar on the breast, it has several shortcomings, the principal one being difficulty with revisional efforts. In other words, scars on... more

Lavinia Chong, MD

22 reviews

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

www.chongmd.com

Revising previous breast augmentation

Based on the history and photos it appears that your implants are doing fine but you've gained some weight or tissue and the right breast has sagged relative to the implant. This is not bottoming out but represents natural sagging. It's not clear why the left side didn't do this as the position of the left breast to the implant is fine and could be adjusted by changing the implant dimensions and the capsule surrounding the implant. In the absence of active capsule contracture it... more

Existing Saline Breast Implants - Would Like to Have a Lift/reduction/new Implants, Which Would Be Best For Me?

Based upon the expertly posted photos you will need a full anchor lift and replaced implants. Sorry but there can be scars. Best of luck seek opinions in person from 3 boarded PSSs in your area.

You will need breast lift and new implant

Your pictures show a lot of skin and low nipple position. You will need full lift and new implants. There will be scar around the nipple-areolar complex and also a vertical scar.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD

28 reviews

New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

Breast lift

From your pictures, it looks like you may have some capsular contracture (hardening of the implant scar tissue) which is making the shape less round and soft. If that is the case, you would need to have the scar tissue removed which will improve the natural look, feel and shape of your breast. A lift will give you the best look for sure - this will leave scars on your breast but they fade very well with time. Good luck!

Breast implant revision

Based on the history and photos you will likely require, at the very least, a breast lift (mastopexy). If the breasts are firm you may also have hardening, capsular contractures. If this is the case, you would want to also replace the implants and remove the internal capsule. If you would like smaller breasts as well then you would need to reduce the size of the implants, or possibly reduce the existing breast tissue(less likely).

Breast Implant Surgery Revision Options?

Thank you for the question. You will do much better with an in-person consultations then with online consultants. Breast implant exchange and breast lifting will likely be necessary to improve your best shape and symmetry. As you know, the downsides of the procedure will involve scars on the breasts; the upsides include improvement in size/symmetry/ shapes of the breast. If and when you are willing to accept this trade-off will be the time when you should proceed with... more

Lift reduction or implant swap for aging saline breast implants- change to silicone with a subfascial plane

You would be likely an excellent candidate for a transaxillary cold-subfascial revision with silicone gel implants. Although your right nipple would be lower than the left(it is hard to tell from the pictures how different they are as I cannot see your shoulders) you could attain reasonable symmetry a more natural beautiful and perkier form with superior pole fullness. From the side view it appears that nipple position is actuallly appropriate in the right breast and... more

Revision of breast augmentation with breast lift

From your photos it appears that you have a capsular contracture on your left side, which accounts for your breast sitting higher on that side. The right breast has a typical “bottoming out” and upper pole rippling that one sees with saline implants and thinning breast tissues. You would need a very specific type of breast augmentation revision and simultaneous breast lift. This type of surgery is very exacting, make sure that you your surgeon... more