What Revision Can Be Done to Get Rid of Buckling of Cohesive Gel Implants?

asked 2 years ago by DJ59 in Canada
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 440 times
Tags: age 45-54, 110-129 lbs, 5 ft 4 in to 5 ft 7 in, silicone implant, 400-449cc, gel, lumps

I am age 50, 5'5", 126 lbs, fit, thin-skinned. Eight months ago I had 375 cc saline implants replaced with cohesive gel implants of 425 cc. A visible round lump can be seen and felt on my left breast at about 10 o'clock. I had it checked out and it's benign. The plastic surgeon believes it is buckling due to the weight of the larger implant, my skin sagging with age and pocket size. This breast does sits slightly lower. Options offered were to ignore it or have a breast lift. Should the surgeon have checked the problem more thoroughly?

6 answers to What Revision Can Be Done to Get Rid of Buckling of Cohesive Gel Implants?

Rippling and palpability of breast implants

Thank you for the question. Palpability and rippling of breast implants may be related to several factors. These include the amount of soft tissue and breast tissue coverage over the breast implants, the position of the breast implants (submuscular versus sub glandular), the type of implants (saline versus silicone), and the degree of overfilling of saline filled implants. Generally, weight loss will extension weight any rippling/palpability of the implants. Deflation of... more

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Revision and implants

Without an exam it is difficult for me to comment because I amnot really sure what this bump is? As for a lift, usually this can be determined before the augmentation surgery...but not always.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Buckling of cohesive gel implant

These are implants that, if shaped must adhere to the surrounding tissues in order to maintain their proper shape and rotation. If fluid builds up around the implant despite the use of proper techniques at the time of surgery, the implant can rotate or buckle. This can be visible using imaging studies.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implant "Buckling"

I think the best way to explain your situation is the old line : "For every complex situation, there is a simple solution which is usually - wrong". Without an examination, much less photographs you are putting us into a situation of a car mechanic asked to repair an engine he cannot feel nor see. The term COHESIVE is thrown about rather easily today. In fact, it should only be used to describe stiff, FORM STABLE implants which are not available for wide use in the US. When held... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

May need more tests to get at root of problem

This doesn't really make sense to me. For example do you have textured implants? if so, you may want to switch to smooth implants. You may want to look into an MRI or even ultrasound, to see if there is perhaps an implant rupture. I don't understand why you would be sagging, so this needs to be explored and clarified to my satisfaction.

Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Revision breast augmentation usually works.

Hi. Hard to know exactly what's wrong, but your cohesive breast implant may have flipped around. The pockets have to be perfect. That is why we don't use these breast implants for revision breast augmentation, where there is already a pocket. But, in any case, if this really bothers you, it can probably corrected.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

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