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Orange County Breast Revision Surgery

As an Orange County breast augmentation and breast revision surgeon, I have performed many breast revision surgeries. Fortunately, if the original surgery is done with careful pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative planning, the rate of revision surgery is low.

I like to start from Chapter One as to the why the patient may request breast revision surgery. It is important to emphasize unrealistic expectations are never satisfied, even with the best result achieved. Perfect symmetry between breasts is never possible. I always tell my Orange County patients, as a breast revision surgeon, if God could not make you symmetrical, neither can I. Look at yourself critically in the mirror. You will notice asymmetries in your face, in your breasts, in your hip and leg area, etc. Unfortunately, patients look at themselves more critically after surgery, and some expect perfection, which is not achievable. Some of my patients are also impatient. They expect their breasts to look great 2 weeks after surgery. This is especially common if their friend had a quick recovery. It is critical to remember your body is different than your friend’s, and your breasts are not going to necessarily heal at the same rate. I have rarely seen both breasts settle in at the same time. Therefore, before any attempt at revision is made, my recommendation is to wait 6 months. This allows for most or all of the swelling to subside and for the implants to settle in. Once the healing process is completed, it is expected you will have minor asymmetries which are visible upon close examination of your breasts.

Breast shape deformity after breast augmentation can occur after capsular contracture. If grade III or IV contracture occurs, the breast will be visibly asymmetrical and will require revision. Either capsulotomy or capsulectomy may be required to correct the contracture.

Implant failure is another reason my Orange County patients request breast revision surgery after augmentation. I always emphasize this to my patients: ALL breast implants will eventually fail and surgery is required to replace the implant. Fortunately, in case of failure, Mentor and Allergan, the two breast implant manufacturers which are FDA approved in the United States, have a lifetime warranty on the implant. These companies also pay a certain amount towards the cost of the surgery, if the failure has occurred within ten years from the date of surgery. For more detail, please visit each web-site and read the implant warranty information.

Breast revision surgery may also be required due to recurrent ptosis of the breast. If the breast skin is very loose and the nipple has dropped, a breast lift (mastopexy) will be required with the augmentation. Sometimes, especially if the breast skin is very loose and thin, the sagging of the skin may recur, and a second mastopexy may be required. This is most common with patients who have had significant weight loss or choose implants which are very large.

Very large implants or implants which are too big for the patient’s body will result in a higher chance of breast revision surgery. The weight and size of the implant will constantly stretch the skin and gravity will pull the skin down, resulting in sagging of the breast skin and nipple. I always recommend to my Orange County patients to choose an implant which is appropriate for their anatomy, in order to minimize these unwanted results.

Please note, with careful planning, majority of reasons breast revision surgery is required is due to acts of nature. Implant failure, capsular contracture, recurrent ptosis (even with an appropriate size implant and perfect technique) occur because of nature. No one can predict or control what happens naturally after surgery. My advice is for the patient to choose a plastic surgeon who is conservative and critical in their approach to breast surgery.