Breast Revision

Breast revision is a surgery that entails removing or replacing breast implants to address painful symptoms from past breast augmentation surgeries. If you are unhappy with your breast implants, you are not stuck with them forever.

Dr. Sean Younai has performed thousands of primary and revision breast procedures resulting in beautiful, natural results. He is a trusted and professional board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in breast revision surgery. With accredited facilities in both Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, Dr. Younai offers comprehensive care for patients in Southern California. 

To schedule your personal consultation with him, fill out this convenient form today, or call us directly at (310) 275-1971.

Before and After Photos

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What Causes Breast Implant Deformity?

As we age, our bodies change, including our breasts and skin, resulting in the thinning of the underlying skin fat layer, loss of skin elasticity, and stretching of breast suspensory tissues. Multiple pregnancies, extreme weight gain and loss, and trauma can hasten the progressive aging and deformity of breasts.

There are a variety of reasons a woman may require a breast implant revision, including asymmetrical breasts, poorly positioned implants, hollow areas or divots, deflated implants, and capsular contracture (hardening around the implants.) Many of these kinds of complications develop when the breast augmentation is performed by an inexperienced surgeon.

Breast Revision Types and Techniques for Various Issues

Your breast revision procedure will be entirely customized, depending on your unique cosmetic goals and the complications that have arisen since your primary procedure. To begin, Dr. Younai will administer general anesthesia to ensure your comfort and safety, before re-opening your original incision and correcting any of the following issues:

Breast Implant Rippling

Breast implant rippling looks like visible ridges or wrinkles on the breast, and is mostly seen on the outer or inner bottom of the breast. Most women can normally feel their breast implants and at times can even feel the implant folds or ripples. In women who have very thin skin and scant breast tissue, extremely large breast implant ripples can become very noticeable. ⁽¹⁾

How Does a Surgeon Correct Breast Implant Rippling?

Breast implant experts usually don’t recommend any intervention for palpable but non-visible implant ripples. However, when implant rippling becomes very visible, most plastic surgeons usually intervene knowing that success can be limited or temporary. These are some of the techniques used to correct breast implant rippling:

Example Of And Correction Of Implant Ripples

This is a 42-year-old Caucasian woman who after childbirth and losing weight developed rippling of her breast implants, mostly over the inner bottom area of her breasts. She was also unhappy with the lack of cleavage.

Dr. Younai reviewed her treatment options, including possible risks and shortfalls. Considering that after weight loss she had also lost breast volume, she elected to exchange her 375cc breast implants with 450cc round moderate profile saline breast implants. He also made adjustments to her breast implant pocket and capsule, to create more cleavage and lift the breasts internally. After recovering from breast implant exchange and correction of rippling, she is very pleased with her overall look and breast shape.

New Implant Size

If you decide to increase the size of your breasts, Dr. Younai will enlarge the “pocket” so it can accommodate a larger implant. If you want to reduce the size of your breasts, he will make the pocket smaller with sutures. Depending on your unique needs, he may also perform a breast lift at the same time to ensure an optimal result.

When your implants are placed too close together or too far apart, they are considered to be poorly positioned implants. To correct this issue, Dr. Younai will reconstruct a new, fully supported pocket for the implant so your breasts are positioned more naturally.

Capsular Contracture

One of the most common reasons for the need for revision surgery, capsular contracture refers to a problematic scar tissue around the implant that causes the breasts to harden and appear distorted. Usually thin and flexible, capsules can form around any foreign object in the body, whether it is a breast implant or a new hip. One of the causes of capsular contracture is the introduction of bacteria into the implant pocket caused by bleeding in the capsule, bacteria on the surface of the implant, or patient reaction to having a foreign object in the body. ⁽²⁾

When the capsule becomes thick and begins to contract, it causes the implant to change shape and become harder. The condition can be quite painful and is sometimes aesthetically unacceptable. Dr. Younai will remove the hardened area and the original implant, before inserting a new implant.

Shell Rupture

Both silicone and saline breast implants are encapsulated by silicone shells, which are very durable and seldom leak. In cases of trauma to the implant from an accident, unintended puncture during surgical procedures, or saline implant leakage, the implant must be removed and replaced with a new one. 

The rupture may not be obvious in women with silicone breast implants as they are composed of a very thick gel that stays in the implant shell even if it is ruptured. That is why it is recommended that women with silicone implants receive an MRI screening or ultrasound on a regular basis to check the integrity of their implants. Women with saline implants will notice the deflation immediately. 

Example of Breast Implant Revision Performed by Dr. Younai

This is a 56-year-old Hispanic woman from Los Angeles who has had saline breast implants for 23 years. After having had three pregnancies and weight loss, she noticed that her breasts were not only sagging, but also becoming hard and painful. Dr. Younai diagnosed her with having grade IV or severe capsular contracture of her breasts. To fix her breast deformity, Dr. Younai proposed exchanging her breast implants, removing the hardened breast capsule, and performing a complete Inverted-T breast lift.

Benefits of Breast Revision

Many women feel extremely anxious about undergoing surgery, especially on their breasts. Naturally, they become even more nervous when it’s a revision procedure, and they’ve already had one surgery with a subpar outcome.

In these cases, it’s especially important to select a specialist you can trust – preferably a board-certified surgeon with a proven track record with complex revision procedures. With years of experience, countless successful procedures, and a reputation for delivering among the best breast revisions Los Angeles has available, few surgeons are more qualified than Dr. Younai to fix any issues with your breast implants and create the flawless look you wanted the first time around.

Some benefits of receiving a breast revision include:

Receiving a breast revision can greatly improve a patient’s self-image and confidence. If you are unhappy with a previous surgery’s results, then revising can give you a new lease on life as well as a newfound appreciation for your body and its shape.

Am I a Candidate for a Breast Revision?

As with all of his cosmetic procedures, Dr. Younai determines candidacy for a breast revision on an individual basis, following a full physical examination and a thorough discussion of your cosmetic needs, goals, and desires. With that said, an ideal candidate is generally a healthy, non-smoking woman who is experiencing the following complications as the result of prior breast augmentation:

Personal Consultation

To get started, Dr. Sean Younai invites you to come into the office for a private consultation, at which point you will discuss your cosmetic goals and concerns, and he will create a custom surgical plan designed to revise your implants and achieve the ideal breasts you’ve always wanted.

During your initial consultation, he will work closely with you to determine exactly what went wrong during your first surgery, as well as offer his recommendations on how you can achieve an optimal outcome this time. Dr. Younai is considered by many to be the ‘go-to’ surgeon for revising poorly performed breast implant procedures, fixing any imperfections, and restoring a flawless appearance.

Preparation

To best prepare for a breast revision, you will first receive an ultrasound, MRI, or mammogram to collect breast imaging and determine what the issue might be. Dr. Younai will ask you to stop taking anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin and ibuprofen, as well as certain herbal supplements that may thin your blood before and after your surgery. You must also quit smoking nicotine and tobacco for at least a week before and after your procedure date.

Recovery 

For the first few days of your initial recovery period, it’s a good idea to have a friend or family member stay with you to ensure your comfort. You can expect to experience some swelling and pain in the area, though it should be manageable with your prescribed pain medication from Dr. Younai.

Most patients feel well enough to return to work within one week, however, you will need to avoid exercise, strenuous activity, and heavy lifting for a minimum of three weeks following surgery. In most cases, you will be able to resume all of your normal activities eight weeks after surgery, although Dr. Younai will offer more specific guidance during your post-operative appointments.

Cost of Breast Revision in Beverly Hills

The cost of your breast revision is completely dependent on your specific symptoms and desires. Dr. Younai offers his services to patients all around the Los Angeles metropolitan area. To schedule your consultation at our Beverly Hills or West Hollywood office today, call us at (310) 275-1971 or fill out this form.

References

1. Faenza M, Lanzano G, Grella E, Izzo S, Ferraro G. Correction of Rippling in Implant-based Breast Reconstruction with Serratus Fascia Flap. Plastic and reconstructive surgery Global open. 2023;11(3):e4862-e4862. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/gox.0000000000004862
2. Denney BD, Cohn AB, Bosworth JW, Kumbla PA. Revision Breast Augmentation. Seminars in Plastic Surgery. 2021;35(02):098-109. doi:https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1727272