13 months ago, I had a full mastopexy w/ 350cc subpectoral saline implants. They have looked bad since surgery. There is no inframammary fold, the scarring is bad, they sag, the nipples are stretched and are jagged around the edges. The implants are hard and become deformed when I flex. Also, when i lay down, my left breast sticks out while the right one sinks down so much that i cant see or feel it. What went wrong and what techniques would be used to fix them?
August 29, 2016
Answer: Breast Lift Problems Hello and thank you for using RealSelf.com as well as sharing your photos. So important to have women discuss breast lift problems in that not all women get 'perfect' results.I see everything you see and do believe there is some hope. It seems like the pockets holding the implants have stretched causing you to 'bottom out' and lose upper fullness. This also can happen where the implant not only drops down but to the side which you see when you lay down. When the implant drops, the infra-mammary fold becomes distorted as well.The flexing of the muscle on one side more than the other may mean that the muscle was not released enough from the rib cage which then pushes on the implant more than the other side.There are ways to help you attain more natural breasts. I would recommend repairing the pocket with internal stitches to raise the implant position and create a better fold. Also, consider a textured implant which seems to lower the risk of pocket stretching more than smooth implants. Then, at the same time, release the muscle on the side that deforms the implant.Not a simple surgery, but good results can be attained. Probably never 'perfect' but good enough where you will be happier.See some experienced plastic surgeons for their opinions. Good luck to you.Dr Spies
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August 29, 2016
Answer: Breast Lift Problems Hello and thank you for using RealSelf.com as well as sharing your photos. So important to have women discuss breast lift problems in that not all women get 'perfect' results.I see everything you see and do believe there is some hope. It seems like the pockets holding the implants have stretched causing you to 'bottom out' and lose upper fullness. This also can happen where the implant not only drops down but to the side which you see when you lay down. When the implant drops, the infra-mammary fold becomes distorted as well.The flexing of the muscle on one side more than the other may mean that the muscle was not released enough from the rib cage which then pushes on the implant more than the other side.There are ways to help you attain more natural breasts. I would recommend repairing the pocket with internal stitches to raise the implant position and create a better fold. Also, consider a textured implant which seems to lower the risk of pocket stretching more than smooth implants. Then, at the same time, release the muscle on the side that deforms the implant.Not a simple surgery, but good results can be attained. Probably never 'perfect' but good enough where you will be happier.See some experienced plastic surgeons for their opinions. Good luck to you.Dr Spies
Helpful
August 28, 2016
Answer: Undesirable Breast Lift - What's The Problem & How Can It Be Fixed? I am so sorry you had to live with this for the past 13 months. Let's look at what's wrong and how it can be improved.1. From your comments, it sounds as if your breast implants have gotten a capsular contracture. If you were my patient, I would remove the implants, do a total capsulectomy, place a piece of Seri in to prevent re-encapsulation, place a drain and use the Keller funnel for the placement of the implant. Also, I am not a big fan of saline implants because they ripple and eventually leak. Again, if you were my patient, I would strongly recommend a silicone implant such as Inspira by Allergan2. The distance from the inframammary fold to the areola appears to be too long given the size of the implants. This has led to what appears to be star gazing of the nipple areolar complex. If you were my patient and based on the pictures you sent, I would shorten the vertical limb of the mastopexy, therefore bringing down the nipple areolar complex into a more aesthetic position. 3. Your areola are too large. If you were my patient, I would decrease the diameter of your areola by doing a circumareolar reduction with a permanent Benelli suture to keep the areola from spreading. 4. With reference to the jagged edges around the existing areola, if the areola was not reduced, a smooth edge can be achieved by medical tattooing. If you were my patient, Jason who does an excellent job of nipple tattooing can match your areolar color and eliminate that unattractive, jagged edge. I am sure your plastic surgeon is as devastated as you are over the final outcome. Although your end result would not match what any surgeon would be happy about, the basic concepts of a Weiss pattern lift have been followed to include a dart in the middle of the horizontal limb of the mastopexy to take tension off that area, and therefore decrease potential breakdowns at this point. I highly recommend you seek consultation with your primary plastic surgeon and allow him or her the opportunity to correct this unfortunate outcome.
Helpful
August 28, 2016
Answer: Undesirable Breast Lift - What's The Problem & How Can It Be Fixed? I am so sorry you had to live with this for the past 13 months. Let's look at what's wrong and how it can be improved.1. From your comments, it sounds as if your breast implants have gotten a capsular contracture. If you were my patient, I would remove the implants, do a total capsulectomy, place a piece of Seri in to prevent re-encapsulation, place a drain and use the Keller funnel for the placement of the implant. Also, I am not a big fan of saline implants because they ripple and eventually leak. Again, if you were my patient, I would strongly recommend a silicone implant such as Inspira by Allergan2. The distance from the inframammary fold to the areola appears to be too long given the size of the implants. This has led to what appears to be star gazing of the nipple areolar complex. If you were my patient and based on the pictures you sent, I would shorten the vertical limb of the mastopexy, therefore bringing down the nipple areolar complex into a more aesthetic position. 3. Your areola are too large. If you were my patient, I would decrease the diameter of your areola by doing a circumareolar reduction with a permanent Benelli suture to keep the areola from spreading. 4. With reference to the jagged edges around the existing areola, if the areola was not reduced, a smooth edge can be achieved by medical tattooing. If you were my patient, Jason who does an excellent job of nipple tattooing can match your areolar color and eliminate that unattractive, jagged edge. I am sure your plastic surgeon is as devastated as you are over the final outcome. Although your end result would not match what any surgeon would be happy about, the basic concepts of a Weiss pattern lift have been followed to include a dart in the middle of the horizontal limb of the mastopexy to take tension off that area, and therefore decrease potential breakdowns at this point. I highly recommend you seek consultation with your primary plastic surgeon and allow him or her the opportunity to correct this unfortunate outcome.
Helpful
