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According to John Hopkins Medicine, breast augmentation is leading the charge when it comes to plastic surgery performed in the United States. The procedure has been practiced for decades and is a safe, effective way to improve the size, shape, and feel of the breasts.
Our Lone Tree plastic surgery office specializes in both saline and silicone breast implant enhancement, each offering their own array of benefits. However, we often see patients who have already had this procedure and are in need of a breast implant revision.
While you may have heard that every ten years, your breast implants will need to be replaced, that’s not always the case. If your implants are in a position of your liking, still soft, and remain unbroken, there’s no need for implant revision and we would never suggest undergoing the surgery if it’s not necessary.
That said, there are some reasons you may need to have your breasts revisited. Today we’d like to tell you five reasons that may necessitate your breast implant revision, for both your comfort and your aesthetic.
The size of your breasts is uncomfortable
As we age, all throughout life, our physical and mental state evolve. So finding that your breast size no longer meets your needs, or appeals to you at 50 the way it did at 25 shouldn’t come as a big surprise.
If you’ve had breast augmentation to make your breasts bigger or smaller in the past, and now feel that they aren’t providing the look you’d like, it’s a great time to speak with a plastic surgeon. Determining a size replacement that will make you feel more comfortable and confident is a quick fix that can greatly affect your body and your attitude toward it.
The position of your breasts are uncomfortable
Often, breast implants are noticeably high or low, creating an abnormal, disproportionate look. New implants can offer a pleasing aesthetic through a breast augmentation revision. A simple reposition of the implants can dramatically affect your appearance, offering a more natural, sophisticated look.
You may find that due to the change in breast position, a change in implant size is also necessary.
You see rippling in the skin of the breast
In some cases, a pattern of wave-like ripples in an area on your breast, just above your implant occurs. This is the implant itself rippling and your skin forming to it. If you have a saline implant, switching to silicone may be a smart move for you. Silicone rarely produces this effect, but it’s not unheard of.
If you’re unable to use silicone implants, talk with your doctor to see how to best proceed. Getting another saline implant may be worth a try, but this problem could reoccur. Fat grafting may help with the issue. When this is used, fat tissue is used over the implant, serving to cover its edges, leading to less noticeable rippling.
You have capsular contracture
This complication occurs when unusual amounts of scar tissue mold itself around the implant, disfiguring the shape and causing unnatural firmness. In more aggressive instances, both the scar tissue and the breast implant will need to be replaced through surgery. If the condition appears to be chronic for a patient, special methods and materials may need to be used to get the look and feel wanted.
Your implants are no longer intact
When breast implants break, or rupture, it’s important to see a plastic surgeon as soon as you can. Not only will breast shape be altered, but you may feel discomfort and the problem can lead to capsular contracture.
Saline implant rupture
When your saline breast implant breaks, it will deflate, causing the breast’s size to decrease and the shape to lose integrity. Your body can safely absorb the saline solution that spills from the implant, however, surgery may be necessary to remove the silicone shell.
Silicone implant rupture
If your silicone breast implant breaks, breast size and shape may be altered, and you may feel pain, more firmness, or see swelling. Again, Emmett’s Plastic Surgery’s FDA-approved silicone implant is not likely to cause the body any harm, as the substance is binding and will not spread.
