Breast Revision Surgery is a procedure to remove or replace breast implants from a previous surgery. Patients choose to undergo revisional surgery for a number of reasons including postoperative complications, lifestyle changes, implant ageing or dissatisfaction with aesthetic outcomes. Dr Phil Richardson from Brisbane Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery has performed revisional surgery on hundreds of women. He talked us through the reasons why, what is involved in the procedure, and also shares some amazing before and after pictures with us to demonstrate how a breast revision surgery can improve outcomes for patients.
Reasons for a Breast Revision Surgery
There are several reasons for a breast revision surgery, including both physical and emotional reasons.
- Capsular Contracture
- Implant Malposition – this occurs when the pocket the implant was originally placed in was too large and the implant moves or flips
- Implant Deflation – due to rupture or leakage
- Other appearance-based complications of the original implants such as rippling, bottoming out, Double Bubbles, unhappy with size or shape, changing from silicone to saline, wrong positioning of the implants, etc.
- Change of lifestyle or mind – the size or shape of the implants no longer suits the patient. Bigger, smaller etc.
- Breasts/implants change appearance due to pregnancy, weight gain or loss, ageing, etc.
- Ageing implants – there is no particular “use by date” on implants however it is generally recognised that at some point breast implants will need replacing. A patient may even just want the implants removed and this may or may not be combined with a breast lift.
- Many breast revision patients are just unhappy with the outcome from their original surgery and want it fixed.
What does a breast revision surgery involve?
Dr Richardson says breast revision surgery can often take longer than the original breast augmentation surgery. He says, “It depends on the individual patient and their circumstances and reasons for the revision, however revisional surgery is often more involved than the original breast augmentation surgery. Ideally it is just a simple procedure to remove the implants and replace them with a different size or shape, however more often than not there will be scar tissue around the implants to remove, leaked or ruptured implants may require additional measures to clear the pocket, adjustment of the implant pocket or any one of a number of other procedures may be needed to achieve the desired results. We also often have to deal with issues related to the original surgeon’s techniques and/or implant choices. It is for this reason that the time taken for revisional surgery can be unpredictable.”
Does a breast revision surgery leave you with a new set of scars?
Dr. Richardson says where possible he tries to maintain the original incision site to avoid the development of new scars, however this is not always possible. “It is always desirable to have the scars in the same place so as not to create a new set of scars however it is not always possible to work with what another surgeon before you has created. Ensuring the scars are as subtle as possible is always an important consideration when creating a surgical plan, so I always make every attempt to minimise scarring.”
Brisbane Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery where Dr. Richardson is based is also the home to the BRAS Clinic- Breast Review After Surgery. This wonderful initiative offers free breast checks to women who may be concerned about their implants or would just like to remain vigilant with their routine check-ups and stay on top of their breast implant health. You can read more about that here.
If you’d like more information on breast revision surgery check out the blogs and videos below, or if you’d like to arrange a consultation with Dr Richardson at Brisbane & Cosmetic Plastic Surgery click here or to see some more amazing and informative before and after images visit their website. You can also phone them on 07 3268 3774