Breast Implant Revision

Although breast augmentation can and should produce results that make you 100% happy, there are times when a second procedure, a revision, are necessary to correct an imperfect result. Some of Dr. Siporin’s patients come to him after an unsatisfactory experience with another surgeon. The most common reasons for their dissatisfaction include:

• Asymmetry of the breasts (one side bigger than the other)
• Poor positioning (too close together/too far apart or too low/too high)
• Desire for a smaller or bigger implant
• Capsular contracture (when a thick scar forms around the implants causing hardening, discomfort, or irregular shape)
• Rippling of the skin over the implant
• Outline of the implant is visible through the skin
• Deflation of the implant (saline implants deflate when they leak)
• Implants “bottoming out” or hanging too low, causing discomfort

Although removing, replacing, and/or repositioning the implant are often key to resolving the issue, in recent years, surgeons have been using a remarkable new material, acellular dermal grafts, to line the breasts and prevent both capsular contracture and rippling.

Here’s how it works: Dermal grafts are marketed under the names Alloderm and Strattice. The products are actually sheets of skin (either human donor in the case of Alloderm or pig skin in the case of Strattice) that are stripped of their cells and cell markers that your body might recognize as “foreign.” These sheets can be thought of like a lattice support for climbing roses in your garden. When implanted in the breast, your own cells and blood vessels grow into the dermal graft until it becomes your own living tissue.

This tissue is particularly useful when it comes to breast augmentation revision surgery. Dr. Siporin uses dermal grafts to line the breasts, creating a barrier between your skin and the implant. The barrier not only makes capsular contracture far less likely but also insulates the implant, making rippling less likely. It also functions like an internal bra, providing added support to the implant and preventing it from “bottoming out.”

If you’re unhappy with your previous breast augmentation results, see Dr. Siporin for a complimentary consultation. He will listen to your concerns, evaluate your results, and help you determine if breast augmentation revision might be right for you.