Implants, revision surgery

Procedure characteristics

breast implants revision surgery (implant removal, implant replacement, implant removal with capsules, implant removal with capsules and replacement with new ones, previously mentioned procedures + breast augmentation)

Anesthesia

general (anesthesia)

Duration

from 1 hour to several hours (depending on the type of procedure)

Stay in clinic

usually 1 day

Recovery period

• 1 week off work, rest, sleeping on your back, no physical exertion of any kind (cleaning, cooking, etc.)
• Return to mental work and driving after 1-2 weeks.
• Return to physical work and moderate sports (swimming pool, cycling) after approximately 1 month.
• Return to very strenuous physical activities (horse riding, jumping, running) after 3 months.

Certain types of strenuous physical activities that strain the pectoral muscle and involve a risk of injury are not recommended at all after breast augmentation surgery with implants!

Follow-up examinations

• The day after the procedure, local condition check (drain removal, if placed);
• after 1 week (mandatory) – local condition check; sutures are dissolvable;
• after 2 weeks – in case of additional breast augmentation surgery (mandatory);
• after 1 year (mandatory) – final check of the operation result – with ultrasound examination result.
• At any time, when needed.

Medication after the procedure

Over-the-counter painkillers.

Wearing special lingerie

supportive sports bra for 3 months, and then always for sports.

Inevitable consequences of the operation (always occur)

• pain,
• swelling,
• bruising,
• scar,
• sensory disturbances in the scar area, implants are always palpable, in very slim women they are visible in certain body positions.

The frequency of complications after revision breast surgeries is 2 times higher than after primary surgery.

Complications (may occur)

1. Early (relatively rare): hematoma (accumulation of blood in the wound requiring surgical evacuation of blood), fluid accumulation in the implant pocket, infection (requires implant removal and antibiotic administration), hypertrophic scar, breast asymmetry always occurs before the procedure (it may decrease after the procedure, but it may also worsen).
2. B. Late (relatively common – minimum 60% within 10 years): implant rupture (requires another operation to remove or remove and insert new implants), capsule contracture around the implants (the breast is harder than the implant, may change shape, may cause discomfort), appearance of fluid around the implant a long time after surgery (may require another procedure), visibility of implants, breast lymphoma (type of cancer) associated with implants - risk 1 in 5 thousand operations – only with textured (rough) implants, dissatisfaction with breast shape or size of inserted implants; non-specific breast pain.