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Who Needs a Breast Revision?

Women who decide to have breast implant revision may do so for a variety of different reasons including:

  • implant size too big or too small or asymmetric
  • breast implant pocket asymmetry
  • capsule contracture
  • desire for different type of implant
  • request for a new implant

What is Breast Revision?

There are a variety of terms for the various types of breast implant revision surgeries including:

  • implant exchange
  • implant removal/explantation
  • capsulectomy (removal of capsule)
  • capsulloraphy (repair of capsule)

Can a Breast Revision Be Combined With Other Procedures?

In addition to these individual implant revision procedures, some patients also require or benefit from breast tissue shaping procedures such as:

  • breast reduction
  • breast lift
  • breast fat transfer

The combination of all of these procedures allows modification and improvement of just about every kind of breast shape issue.

During your consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Repta, you will discuss your prior breast augmentation history, breast health history, goals for breast revision surgery, as well as your options and plan of breast revision surgery.

Breast Revision Before & After

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A Word From Dr. Repta Breast Revision

Breast revision surgery encompasses many different type of procedures for various breast shape and breast health problems.

Patients with the following breast problems may be a candidate for breast revision surgery:

  • Breast Lift
  • Breast lift asymmetry
  • Breast lift scarring
  • Breast lift shape
  • Breast augmentation
  • Breast augmentation asymmetry
  • Breast augmentation size issues, including being too big or too small
  • Breast augmentation cleavage issues, including not enough cleavage or too much cleavage, including symmastia (uni-boob)
  • Breast augmentation bottom out
  • Breast augmentation pain
  • Breast augmentation hardness or firmness
  • Breast Reconstruction
  • Breast reconstruction shape
  • Breast reconstruction size
  • Breast reconstruction pain
  • Breast reconstruction failure (loss of implants)

Breast revision surgery is the process of figuring out what the issue or issues are and understanding what the patient is ideally trying to accomplish and then generating a plan that best meets those needs. This can and does often involve addressing various aspects of breast shape and health including:

  • Breast scars
  • Breast position
  • Breast size
  • Breast implant size, width, height, shape, and position
  • Removal of breast capsule
  • Tightening of breast pocket
  • Loosening of breast pocket
  • Assessing areola shape, size, and position

What is Symmastia?

Congenital symmastia is a unique anatomic development issue where the skin between the breasts overlying the cleavage area over the sternum is not firmly attached. This results in the general appearance that one breast blends into the other without a distinct or cris cleavage separation between the breasts in the middle.

The condition most commonly develops in women who have had breast reconstruction. During the mastectomy, the surgeon may have removed too much tissue close to the sternum. Alternatively, the implants that were inserted may have been too large; larger implants require a bigger pocket and put more tension on the skin that attaches to the sternum and holds the implant.

How do you fix symmastia?

In most cases, surgery will correct symmastia. This may involve:

  • Removing the implants and replacing them with new, usually smaller implants
  • Reattaching the skin that has detached from the sternum using internal stitches
  • Adjusting the pockets of tissue in the chest that hold the implants in place
  • Reinforcing pocket boundaries using a dermal matrix or mesh
  • Removing the implants and replacing them with transplanted tissue flaps from another location on your body

Congenital symmastia

Congenital symmastia is less common and occurs when patients are born with breasts that are too close together. There is no distinct boundary between the breasts, so the breasts are joined in the middle where a natural cleavage area should exist and one breast blends into the other.

It’s possible to treat congenital symmastia by addressing the structure and size of the breasts, providing a natural separation and enhanced cleavage. We may accomplish this with a three-step process:

  • Liposuction between the breasts to remove a small amount of breast tissue
  • Surgically reattaching the skin at the cleavage area to the breastbone
  • Compress the site to help the skin and chest wall heal

Congenital Symmastia Before & After

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Your Private Consultation

To schedule your private consultation, please call our office today at 855 377 3782 or click either the in-office or virtual consult button below.

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Breast revision is one of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of plastic surgery. It requires careful thought, discussion, and planning. When this is done, the impact and benefit to the patient is profound. If you’re interested in breast revision, the first step is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Repta. He will determine what the issues are, and will listen carefully to understand what you want to accomplish. He will then create a plan that best meets those needs. To learn more or to set up your consultation, we welcome you to contact us.

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