Breast Implants: Q&A

Ask a Question

Revision Surgery to Correct Shifting Breast Implants?

What revision techniques are done to correct Breast Implants that tend to shift towards the arms, especially when laying down? Is the breast pocket resized to hold the breasts more in place? The implants are placed under the muscle and are 700cc saline.

Tags:

700-749cc saline implants under muscle

Comment on this

15 Doctor Answers | Asked by Renee1962 in Florida

Doctor Answers (15)
Community Comments (0)

Correction for shifting breast implants can be done

Renee The simple answer to your question is yes, the outer implant pocket can be tightened through an operation known as capsulorraphy. This is often accompanied by release of other, complimentary portions of the pocket. The situation you describe raises additional questions about complete release of the pectoralis muscle and about the relatively large size of the implants. The most important factor in success is probably the choice of an experienced plastic surgeon.

Breast Implant Revision Surgey

For implants that are falling off to the sides or into the armpits when lying down, you may need a capsulorrhaphy to tighten the pocket a bit. This will keep the implants from falling too much laterally.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Correction for Shifting Breast Implants

Large implants with breast tissue over them are the same as large breasts. And large breasts tend to fall laterally off the chest wall in the supine position. Although tightening the lateral aspect of the capsular pockets may help there's no guarantee. The breasts would need to be held well in a bra for 6 weeks. Smaller implants may need to be considered.

Shifting breast implants may be difficult to correct with 700 cc implants

I agree with the majoprity of answers here. With a 700 cc implant the weight tends to stretch the side of the pocket when you lie down. It is difficult to maintain that sized implant in the front of your chest by internal stiches due to the effect of gravity. That being said, if the implant pocket is severely extended along the side of your chest, then attempt at closing off the side of the pocket with internal stiches might be worthwhile. When I do this I first remove the implant through... more

700 cc is wide for breast implants

Renee, 700 ccs is a very large implant with a wide base. So, unless you are very wide chested, there is no way that you can keep your implants from pushing out to the side without placing a smaller implant. You would couple that with an internal stitching of the implant capsule (capsulorrhaphy) to hold the implants medially centered under your nipples. Good luck!

Treatment of shifting breast implants

SEE VIDEO FOR SAMPLE TREATMENTS: There are several issues here regarding management and treatment; These are larger than average implants, to minimize recurrence consider smaller implants. Unders tend to move laterally if the muscle is incompletely released. The implants could be moved to overs or you should stop performing pectoralis muscle contraction exercises. Textured implants are less likely to move. Given the size of these implants, use of supportive garment to minimize lateral... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Breast pocket revision

If your chest wall angles naturally towards the outside, with a 700 cc implant, it will be very hard to maintain a repair of the pocket. This problem may just recur. The procedure is performed by placing multiple sutures along the gutter of the outer pocket and tying them down to obliterate the extra pocket after removing the extra pocket lining. During the recovery, it is critical to avoid all activities like running and jumping that might tear the repair. Also I have patients wear... more

The replacement with textured silicone gel implants would make a difference

While smaller implants and a surgical closure of the implant pocket will hopefully correct the inferior and lateral displacement of your implants, the main problem is that you don't make sufficient scar tissue to hold the implants in the desired position. By replacing your breast implants with smaller textured silicone gel implants the breast tissue and the muscle tissue should attach to the implant and minimize the likely hood of the same problem happening again.

Breast implant malpostion

Considering reducing the size of your implants. The heavier the implant the more chance of malpostion of the implant as you own tissue can not support the implant. Once there is malosition the implant is removed and sutures are placed to help keep the implant in a medial postion.

Correcting sideways falling breast implants

700 cc implants are very large. In my opinion, only a minority of women can have good long term results with such implants. When implants are placed, a pocket is created for the implants. The pocket should ideally be centered under the nipple location and on the flat portion of the chest WITHOUT encroaching on the other side of the chest. When breast implants "do battle" with a forward moving arm, EITHER the original pocket was made too large (for an over sized implant) OR the... more

I agree

There are several ways to go about the operation. I would start with the capsulorrhaphy, where a small bit of capsule along the lateral aspect is removed to create a sticky area. The capsule is then tightened with sutures and the sticky areas also scar in to support the repair. I would keep the implants if there is no contraindication, and I would keep them in the submuscular position. I agree with a bra.

Correcting implant mobility

Renee, The are a couple of ways to approach an implant pocket that has stretched or was opened too much. The more common approach is to sew the pockets or capsule from inside to make it smaller. This is referred to as a capsulorrhaphy. Once this is performed you need to protect the repair by wearing a very supportive bra all of the time except when showereing for at least the first 6 weeks, possibly longer. Another approach is performing the capsulorrhaphy and supporting that repair with a... more

Surgery to correct shifting implants

The surgery to correct the shifting of implants toward the armpits is usually a closing down of the space that houses the implants. The cavity that the implants are in is formed by scar tissue called a capsule. The capsule is made smaller with stitches. Some Drs may also change the position of the implant(under or over the muscle). With 700 cc saline implants there is a fair chance that tis may recur(because of the size and the saline)

Drifting breast implants

Although I obviously have not examined your breasts, it would seem that preventing a lateral drift to your implants while lying down is futile given the size of the implants. When you lie down , the chest curves laterally due to the configuration of your ribs. A large, relatively heavy implant with a wide footprint will sit on the downward sloping curve of your outer ribcage. Gravity will force the implants to drift toward the outside of your chest. A textured implant that is a bit more... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD

4 reviews

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Examination needed to address your shifting breast implants problem

Renee, Many of the physicians on this site have given you good advice. Without an examination it is not possible to give you an exact answer to your problem. Sometimes, a smaller implant can be placed in a new pocket. Often the implants and scar tissue need to be removed and the breast allowed to shrink back to its orininal size. This can be followed by re-augmentation. This is not ideal and many patients do not want to go without implants. However, many times the excess weight of the 700... more