Just as there are many reasons women choose breast augmentation, there are also numerous reasons patients decide to reverse the process. If you’ve begun to have second thoughts about your implants, the solution may be breast revision.

Experienced Miami plastic surgeon Dr. Christopher Craft is skilled in performing revision surgery for women who have concerns about the size, shape, feel, positioning or even safety of their implants, and seek either a new variety or removal of the implants.

Surgical Technique

When implants are removed, the pocket that held the implant must be refilled with natural tissue to restore a pleasing shape. This involves a procedure similar to breast lift. The skill of your surgeon is especially important in cases in which large implants are removed: The skin may have a stretched look, and the breasts may appear to sag or have a deflated appearance. Efficient tightening of the skin and precise placement of tissue to refill the area are critical to ensuring your satisfaction with the final result.

Breast revision is often performed to replace implants. Some women decide that saline implants feel less natural than they expected, and opt for surgery to swap saline for a silicone gel variety. Other women may have safety concerns about silicone gel implants, and choose saline for their breast revision procedure. If you select smaller implants, the area surrounding the new implant will need to be tightened, and skin may need to be lifted.

Medical Reasons

Sometimes the decision to remove implants is not based on aesthetic preference, but performed for medically-necessary reasons. A patient may have a health condition, such as an autoimmune disease, that may be aggravated by the presence of implants.

Other times implants have lost integrity, drifted or even damaged surrounding tissue. Capsular contracture, for example, develops when scar tissue forms around an implant. With this condition, patients feel pain and notice a hardening of breast tissue. This type of scarring can also cause an implant to rupture.

Symmastia is a condition in which migration of the implants or improper positioning makes it look like the breasts are joined in the middle of the chest. Drifting or incorrect surgical placement can also make breasts look asymmetrical. In other cases, the outline of implants becomes visible on the surface, and may even give the skin a “rippling” appearance. The most serious cases involve rupture of the implant. These require immediate attention.

Whatever the reason for breast revision, Dr. Craft is skilled in removing or changing implants with safe surgical options. He is also experienced in performing concurrent procedures during implant removal, such as lifting the breasts on the chest and even adjusting the angle of the nipple and compressing the size of the areola.

If you would like more information on breast revision, schedule a personal consultation with experienced Miami plastic surgeon Dr. Christopher Craft today.