Breast implants are quite durable, and most women who undergo breast augmentation surgery remain happy with their results for years. At some point, however, it may be time to consider replacing your breast implants through a procedure called breast augmentation revision.
We’re seeing more and more Fort Worth, Mansfield, and Abilene patients at my practice who want to replace implants they got 10 to 15 years ago, even though they’re not experiencing any complications. One of the main reasons women make this choice is to switch to the newer cohesive silicone gel implants that most women think look and feel more like natural breasts than saline implants.
With the popularity of cohesive gel implants increasing every year—8 out of every 10 breast augmentation patients choose silicone implants—it’s difficult to remember that just a little more than 10 years ago, saline implants were the only option available. Silicone gel implants returned to the market in late 2006 after years of study reaffirmed their safety, and implant technology has continued improving since then.
Women get breast augmentation revision surgery for many reasons. Besides replacing aging implants, some experience complications, or they want to change the size or shape of their implants.
What’s involved in a breast augmentation revision procedure?
Revision breast implant surgery can be a bit more complicated than primary breast augmentation, and it’s important to have a board-certified plastic surgeon experienced in revision surgery perform the procedure.
The exact surgical process depends on the patients’ individual goals. For some, it may involve only repositioning the implants. For others, it may require replacement of the implants or removing the implants altogether. The Aesthetic Society offers an excellent breast augmentation revision process overview for each type of revision surgery.
Why choose a breast augmentation revision?
When I consult with women who are considering revision surgery, we discuss their reasons for wanting to replace the implants, and I explain that customizing the procedure to include other types of cosmetic breast surgery with the revision can produce the best possible results.
For example, as I discussed in an earlier blog post, a breast lift combined with revision surgery may be the best approach if a patient’s breasts have moderate to severe sagging. Implants can stretch the skin, and addressing both issues during a single operation is usually preferable to performing separate procedures.
In fact, a woman who’s replacing aging implants, and has children, may want to include liposuction, or even a tummy tuck, as part of a mommy makeover that includes breast augmentation revision.
I’m proud of the results I’ve achieved with breast augmentation revision surgery, including when it’s combined with other cosmetic procedures, as shown in these before-and-after photos of a 41-year-old patient who had a mommy makeover (see more revision results in our gallery):
If you had breast enhancement surgery more than 10 years ago and want to discuss replacing your breast implants, you can schedule a consultation with me to get more information about the procedure, or call my practice at (817) 228-4315.
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