Breast Augmentation: Q&A

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Incision Type for Breast Augmentation Revision

Hi. I had a BA and lift and then had many problems with my scar lines staying closed afterwards and had to have my implants downsized from 300cc to 250cc. In the future would it be possible for larger implants to be replaced, but through a different incision such as nipple or armpit, so that I did not risk having the same problems with pressure on my vertical scars from the lift. I have HP silicone implants at the moment.

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15 Doctor Answers | Asked by Sarah3294

Doctor Answers (15)
Community Comments (0)

Need a personal consultation

You need to be little more specific for reasons why the revision needs to be done. What is your goal? In case of breast augmentation revision usually surgeon is going to try to use initial incision. You do not want to create, unless necessary a new incision and new scar tissue. The surgeon will advise you with the best option for the new procedure you require. There are times it is not going to be just a breast implant exchange, but patient needs a breast lift (mastopexy). In that case... more

Using different incision for revision augmentation

In my opinion, your best bet is to stay at the size you are now. Trying to go to a larger size for you may prove too risky. Your soft tissue envelope may not allow this expansion.

Bhupesh Vasisht, MD

10 reviews

Voorhees Plastic Surgeon

Reaugmentation using a different incision.

From your brief description, it sounds your difficulty with wound healing was due to tension. The decrease in the size of the implant (albeit a small amount at 50cc) was performed to improved healing by taking pressure off the healing incision. This is a known issue with performing a lift at the same time as an augmentation - the goals of the surgery are counter to each other. The augmentation increases the breast size while the lift decrease the skin envelope. If not matched well, wound... more

David Bogue, MD

6 reviews

Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon

www.drbogue.com

Breast implant revision

Your problems after your surgery were major problems, requiring implant removal and replacement. Honestly, if you have healed up and you look nice, I would leave well enough alone! The enemy of good is better. I have learned this the hard way. Lisa Lynn Sowder, M.D.

Breast implant revision, breast uplift revision

Since you already have the scars from your uplift, almost any portion of it could be used to replace and enlarge the size of your breasts. I like to put the least amount of scars on my patients and would use one of the existing scars for revisions. Watch my videos and see my website for further info.

Healing and Breast Augmentation

Healing and maturation of scars take up to two years biochemically. You can certainly change out the implants through a different incision. It will be hard to take out a gel implant through the underarm. Give your breast some time to heal and let the skin strech before you have another surgery. Leo Lapuerta MD

Incision for revision breast augmentation

You need to have adequate time for the original incision to heal and the skin to adjust to your current implant. Generally, when the scars are no longer red, the scar is fully mature. Using the same scar for your revision is safe. After the skin has been cut once, the blood vessels in the skin dilate over a few weeks, making the wound edges more robust than when they were first cut.

Wound healing problems from augmentations and now wants to go larger

You may be able to have larger implants inserted using the same incision. However, you did not indicate why there was such a problem healing in the first place. Were the implants too large for the pocket causing a tremendous amount of distracting forces on the incision? Was you skin very thin - combined with a tight closure? Medical problems? Etc. More information would be required plus an examination to better make this determination.

Incision choice for revision

If you have an inframammary incision from your lift, I would wait a few monthys to be completely healed before considering going back for a larger size. I would probably approach this from the inframammary incision.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Larger breast implants following breast augmentation with lift

Once your incisions are healed, you may increase the size of your implant to larger size as the breast lift incision lines have healed and are not at risk of falling apart; I would recommend you consider using the horizontal limb incision line as this approach may also allow you to correct the inferior breast pole which may have increased in size disproportionately, called buttoming out; this incision should heal well and not give you trouble as your lift incisions. You need to have your... more

Incisions for revision surgery

While you may have had problems with your incisions after the last surgery, it is generally advisable to use the same incisions for any revision surgery. Additionally, if you need a revision of the lift in addition to the exchange to a larger implant, then you will need to use the lift incisions again anyway. Also, you did not mention the reasoning for your previous incision issues. If the implant is too large for the skin envelope of your breast, then there may be extra... more

Revision breast surgery

Hello, The scar separation or opening of incisions after a breast augmentation and lift surgery is usually a result of tightness of the scar due to big implants and overaggressive skin resection. sometimes despite judicious conservative surgery, the incisions can separate and cause wide scars. If you have already had scar separation and scar problems, you may want to think twice about upsizing your implants. Usually it is not a good idea to make more incisions in other... more

Breast Augmentation Revision

Hello Sarah3294, As scars become older, they usually become stronger as the collagen becomes more organized and denser. Your original problem of scar spread was probably due to the combined tension from both the lift and the implant on a new, unorganized, and weak scar. Now that time has gone by, larger implants probably won't cause that same scar to spread. If you have a T or anchor scar pattern, then the best place to re-enter is via the inframammary scar (just a... more

Breast augmentation together with breast lift

There is not enough information (such as what skin excision pattern was used for the lift, before and after photos etc.) in your post to answer your question. In order to assess your situation we would need to know what you looked like before surgery, what type of lift procedure was done, and where the implants were placed. It is very difficult for even the best surgeon to plan and do breast lift and augmentation procedures at the same time. Everyone is reluctant to do it as 2 separate... more

Revision breast augmentation

Hello, It may be possible to "upsize" your implants again in the future, and sometimes it is better to do so through a different incision. For example, if the tissue near the nipple is thinned out, and the original incision was at the areolar border, converting to an inframammary approach might be reasonable, if you have a thicker pad of soft breast tissue near the lower part of the breast. Of course, the drawback is that a new scar would be created. There is certainly a risk... more