Breast Implant Revision Q&A

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How Long After Breast Augmentation Can the Revision Be Done?

asked 2 years ago by Kate 1964 in kentucky
Latest answer by Michael Law, MD
Question viewed 2,731 times
Tags: candidate, timing

I had a breast augmentation 3 weeks ago tomorrow. I am not satisfied as I wish I had gone with the larger implant. I have Silicone breast implants. How long do I have to wait to redo the breast augmentation?

12 answers to How Long After Breast Augmentation Can the Revision Be Done?

Breast Implant revision

It can be quite an emotional roller coaster ride for a woman who, being self-conscious about her breast appearance, seeks out a surgical breast enhancement, chooses a surgeon, has a breast augmentation, and then ends up with a result that falls far short of her expectations - or even worse, results in a breast appearance about which she is even more self-conscious. I take this situation very seriously, and in my practice we do our very best to not only provide such patients with the enhanced... more

Michael Law, MD
Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

Timing for breast implant revision

Dear Kate, Three weeks after surgery, your breasts still haven't achieved their final appearance. In a lot of women, the skin envelope is still relatively tight. For some, that means that the implants will drop somewhat and achieve a more natural look - you might like the appearance more when that happens. Regardless, waiting at least 3 months after surgery, to give the skin a chance to relax, will help you and your surgeon pick an implant size that you like more, but can still be... more

Sam Jejurikar, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Breast augmentation

Dear Kate 1964 I am sorry that you are unhappy with the Breast Implant size. This is frustratiing and i am sure your doctor will guide you through this time and you will be very happy. Most surgeons like to wait 'for things to settle' which can be from 3 to 6 months- depending on the surgery. If you truly want to be much larger then you can consider replacing the implant sooner- allowing that your surgeon will do this. With Warm Regards, Trevor M Born MD

Trevor M. Born, MD
Toronto Plastic Surgeon

Bigger implants

If you are not happy with the size at three weeks, I would wait a few months for things to settle down and the swelling to dissipate before having a revision.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Slow down on reoperating for breast augmentation

We've always been taught to wait for 3 months before exchanging implants - I've seen this problem before and have been very, very tempted to change earlier than that to meet the patient's wishes. The prudent thing to do is wait. There's no sense in hurrying up and getting the size wrong again. The reality is that you want to wait that time so that you can see the result once it has settled in. Try these implants with several different outfits and bathing suits, you may end up prefering your... more

Ricardo A. Meade, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Changing cosmetic breast implants

Breast augmentation with implants is a completely elective, cosmetic procedure and the patient chooses to do it with appropriate informed consent from the plastic surgeon. She can also choose to undo it by having the implants removed or replacing the implants with a different size or type. This would not be a revision. It would be a choice just like the one to have it done the first time. We call it a re-augmentation and it can be done a short time or years after the original procedure.... more

Scott L. Replogle, MD
Denver Plastic Surgeon

Revision After Breast Augmentation

It is amazing to me how often patients write to us complaining that they are unhappy with the size of implants that they chose. This goes back to the relationship between the patient and the surgeon. I have a plastic surgeon friend who's favorite statement is "I just load the trucks. I don't drive them." Meaning he just follows what patients tell him they want. This is exactly the wrong thing that plastic surgeons should do. We are the experts, not the patients. It is our... more

Christopher L. Hess, MD
Fairfax Plastic Surgeon

Adjusting to implant size

There is no perfect way to pick an implant size and no single right answer to how long to wait for a re-do. A typical sequence after surgery might go like this: at first they seem too large because they are swollen and firm; then after some settling and softening over a few weeks, they seem just right; and after more time goes by, a patient might say "If I had to do it all over again I would have gone a little larger." There are limits though to how much of a change can be made... more

Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Wait 3 months before considering an implant exchange

Picking the 'right' size implant to meet a patient's expectations is a process that involves a thorough discussion with your plastic surgeon. It can be very disappointing to not be the size you were expecting. When I have a patient who has early dissatisfaction with the size of her breast augmentation I usually will encourage her to wait at least 3 months before we attempt to perform an implant exchange.

Jeffrey Zwiren, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Anatomical and emotional adjustment time

It takes a while for the anatomy to accommodate the implant. Some breasts look big and then shrink as swelling abates, and others look too small and tight but then increase in contour as the soft tissue stretch in response to the presence of the implant. Give your surgery a good 3-6 months to accomplish these things. In addition, a patient may take a variable amount of time to adapt to the new breasts. You have to 'wear' them in various situations to gauge how you feel about them. Breasts... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Revision after breast augmentation

Your complaint is the most common one after breast augmentation. There is no magic time period that you must wait prior to upsizing. It depends on how soon your body returns to it's preoperative state (i.e. swelling, bruising). You also want to give your implants a chance to settle before making another intervention. The time frame for all this is typically 8-12 weeks. Good luck!

Elan B. Singer, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Regrets about breast implant size

I am sorry to hear that you are already unhappy. However, it is not uncommon for patients to have second thoughts after all cosmetic surgeries and it is important to give your body a chance to heal and your mind a chance to get used to the change before you make a final decision on any revisional surgery. There is no advantage to going back early in your situation.