Breast Implant Revision after Implant Rupture
Through breast augmentation surgery, the size and shape of a patient’s breasts are enhanced to improve a woman’s confidence in her appearance. While the majority of breast augmentation procedures achieve this goal without problems, there are rare cases in which complications occur. One such complication is implant rupture. A rupture is a situation in which the breast implant becomes damaged and causes the implant to deflate. Although this is an undesirable situation, it can be corrected through revision surgery. Dr. Gregory T. Mesna offers breast implant revision for implant rupture at his Minneapolis practice in order to help patients restore the bust line and achieve the surgical results that they want and deserve.
Causes of Implant Rupture
Breast implant ruptures are unusual and unpredictable, so patients really don’t have any warning signs that this complication will occur. However, there are several factors that are known to cause implant ruptures. Below are some common causes of breast implant rupture:
- Trauma or injury to the breast area
- Over-handling of breast implants prior to surgery
- Aged breast implants
- Defective implant
- Capsular contracture (a complication of breast augmentation in which thick scar tissue squeezes the breast implant)
A breast implant rupture can drastically alter the size, shape, and appearance of the breast, and can also cause side effects such as redness, hardness, pain, tingling, or numbness. It is important to address an implant rupture as soon as possible through implant revision surgery.
Implant Revision Procedure
Implant revision surgery is the only effective way to treat a breast implant rupture. This procedure is similar to the initial breast augmentation, and will use the same incision sites, if possible. With patients under the effects of general anesthesia, the ruptured breast implant will be removed. If a silicone implant has ruptured, the entire breast pocket will be cleaned out to ensure that all silicone has been removed from the breast. Once the breast has been properly cleaned, a new implant will be placed. If a patient has older implants and it is suspected that aging is the cause of the implant rupture, it is likely that both breast implants will be replaced, even if only one has ruptured. This is simply a precaution to help ensure that another implant rupture does not occur.
In rare cases, patients may choose to remove breast implants altogether after a rupture has occurred. While this is the patient’s choice, it is not recommended to remove breast implants without undergoing a breast lift. Breast implants stretch the skin (especially if they have been in the breasts for a while), and may result in significant sagging of the breasts once they are removed.
Schedule an Appointment
A breast implant rupture should be addressed right away. If you have suffered an implant rupture and are looking for an experienced surgeon to perform implant revision surgery, schedule an appointment with Dr. Gregory T. Mesna at your earliest convenience. Dr. Mesna can answer any questions you may have about restoring your bust line. We look forward to hearing from you.