Five Signs That You May Need a Breast Implant Revision
Breast implants remain one of the most popular choices for plastic surgery today. You can find a doctor to perform the surgery just about anywhere in the country and in many places around the world. What’s interesting about this surgery is that a lot of breast implant patients go back to a plastic surgeon later on. Why? These patients are interested in breast implant revision surgery. There are several reasons why breast implants may need a revision; some of them are quite obvious, others less so. If you have breast implants, here are five signs that you may need a breast implant revision.
1.) The Implants Aren’t Retaining Their Shape
Implants are generally made of two substances: saline and silicone. Saline breast implants are essentially empty bags made of silicone that are inserted and then filled with saline until they have reached the desired size. Silicone implants are preformed implants made of soft silicone that are simply inserted into the patient. Both of these types are designed to be slightly flexible while still retaining their shape. This helps them look and feel like natural breasts.
Sometimes, however, implants can alter their shape under significant trauma. This is especially true for the saline implants. Since those are basically a tough water balloon, damage to them usually results in the implant popping and causing the breast to “deflate”. Silicone implants can also deflate, but that takes major force to the implant.
When the implants are damaged, they need to be replaced with revision surgery.
2.) The Implants Are Migrating
Breast implants don’t integrate themselves into your body; they sit on top of the muscles in your chest and beneath your breast tissue. Since there isn’t anything really anchoring the implant in place, over time there is a chance that the implant will migrate. Most of the time it doesn’t move far, but it can move enough to make your breasts look slightly lopsided or asymmetrical. Revision surgery can help relocate your implants so they are back in the right position and make repairs to your muscles or soft tissue so the implant can stay put.
3.) You Think Your Breasts Are Too Big or Too Small
It isn’t uncommon for breast implant patients to change the size of their implants later. A lot of patients start out getting larger implants and then decide that the bigger size is more of an inconvenience with their lifestyle. On the flip side, some patients decide they want to upgrade their implants and make them larger. Revision surgery can change the size of your implants, whether you want them larger or smaller.
4.) Your Breasts Don’t Feel Right
When the implants are put in correctly, they aren’t supposed to feel like implants. Your breasts should still feel like natural breasts because the actual breast tissue isn’t replaced by the implant. The implant is placed beneath your existing breast tissue to help enhance it. If your breasts feel less like breasts and more like implants, that’s a problem. Revision surgery can help correct this problem by changing the size of your implant, adjusting its position, or changing the actual breast tissue so it houses the implant better.
5.) Your Body Has Changed
Implants stay the same size once they’re put in, but your body may not. Weight fluctuations, pregnancy, illness, and aging can all cause your body to change throughout your life. Changes to your body won’t directly affect your implants, but they can affect how your implants look. Your breast tissue is still vulnerable to changes even if the implants are not. For example, if you have lost a lot of weight, you probably have less fat around your breast and in the breast tissue. Since your implant hasn’t changed size, your breasts could now look too large. Or worse, the implant may actually look like an implant. The same is true for moms who have been pregnant and were breastfeeding; once that stops, the breast tissue may look a little deflated and cause the implant to look more obvious.
Conversely, if you’ve gained weight, your skin will probably stretch and you’ll gain more fat around your breast. The implant won’t be the right size for your body anymore and could make your breast look disproportional.
Revision surgery helps get your breasts back to the right proportion by adjusting your implants or changing the size so you can feel confident in your breasts regardless of what changes are happening to your body.
How Does Revision Surgery Compare to Other Breast Surgeries?
Getting implants in the first place can run between $3500-$4000. Comparatively, a breast revision surgery costs about $3000-$3500. This cost does vary depending on your surgeon and the extent of your surgery. A patient who needs to have their implant adjusted a little bit won’t have to pay as much as a patient who has to have their implant completely replaced.
The same is true for the total recovery time. Patients who are getting implants for the first time typically need at least a week to get over the initial recovery followed by a few more weeks of waiting for the swelling to go down. Breast implant revision recovery takes about the same about of time but, again, it depends on the extent of the work being done. Revision patients do have one advantage over patients receiving implants for the first time – having been through breast surgery once before, these patients know what to expect during their recovery which could make it a little easier to endure.
Breast Surgery at Spalding Drive
Whether you are looking for breast implants or breast implant revision, look no further than Spalding Drive Plastic Surgery. We have surgeons who are experts at making you feel confident in your breasts and your body, including the world famous Dr. Paul Nassif. To schedule a patient consultation for breast surgery at Spalding Drive Plastic Surgery, contact our office at (310) 275-2467.