Breast implant replacement or renewal surgery is a plastic surgery operation in which the existing silicone breast prosthesis is removed and replaced with a new breast implant in a person who has previously had “breast augmentation surgery with silicone implants”.
Breast implant replacement or renewal surgery can be performed completely due to the aesthetic preferences of the patient, although it is not a necessity, or it is also performed as a necessity due to some medical and aesthetic complications.
When deciding on the shape, surface feature and size of the newly placed Breast implant, many factors are taken into consideration, depending on the reason for changing the implant.
USA. According to a 2011 report by the Food and Drug Administration, 1 in 5 women who have undergone breast augmentation surgery with breast implants undergo breast implant replacement or renewal surgery for various reasons within the first 10 years following the surgery.
What are the Reasons for Replacing (Renewing) Breast Implants?
- Requesting an implant that is larger or smaller than the current one.
- Requesting an implant that is different from the current one (such as a round model rather than a drop model).
- Demanding an implant with a different surface texture than the current one (such as a flat-surface implant rather than a rough-surfaced implant).
- Replacing an implant that was placed many years ago with a new model silicone implant without any complaint.
- Renewing the implants during breast lift surgery.
- Silicone implant rupture (silicone rupture).
- Capsular contracture development around the silicone implant.
- Displacement, displacement of the silicone implant on the anterior chest wall (if the implant is too large and it is necessary to replace it with a smaller one).
- The development of rippling in the breast (if a change in the size or surface properties of the implant is required).
The breast shape obtained after breast augmentation surgery with a silicone implant is not permanent for life. Over the years, there will be shape changes in the breasts due to factors such as the effect of gravity, pregnancy and weight gain and loss. Moreover, women's understanding of breast aesthetics may change over the years and they may want a larger or smaller breast than they are.
While there is no problem with silicone implants, sagging and loosening of the breast tissue covering the implant may develop and a breast lift surgery may be required. During this surgery, silicone implants can be left in place or replaced with new ones. If 5-10 years have passed since the first surgery and/or a new silicone implant with a different shape, size or surface is desired, the implants are also changed during the breast lift surgery.
At the beginning of the situations in which the silicone breast prosthesis must be replaced, the rupture of the silicone prosthesis (prosthesis rupture) or in other words “the explosion of the silicone” comes. Today, commonly used silicone implants have a silicone or polyurethane sheath on the outside, and a gel-like medical silicone inside this sheath. As a manufacturing defect, due to the wear of the sheath over the years, as a surgical error, due to trauma to the implant or for any other reason, there may be ruptures in silicone prostheses and leakage of its contents around the implant. In this case, the torn implant and its contents are surgically removed, the pocket where the implant is located and the capsule contracture, if any, are cleaned and a new implant is placed in the same pocket or in another newly created pocket. This process is called replacement or renewal surgery of the silicone breast implant.
How is it understood that there is a problem in the implanted breast?
- Pain
- Hardness
- shape change
- Swelling
- The implant is not as soft and mobile as before
- Development of asymmetry between the two breasts
- Redness and tenderness of the breast skin
- tingling or burning sensation
- Numbness or change in sensation in the nipple or skin
- Feeling a mass that did not exist before when touched by hand
- mass under armpit
- Displacement of the implant in the anterior chest wall
- If you have complaints, signs and symptoms such as a wavy appearance on the breast skin, you should consult your doctor to investigate possible complications.
The most important of the possible complications is the "Large Cell Lymphoma" disease that develops around the silicone implant. Although this condition is very rare, it can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated in time.
Sometimes a problem may develop without the above-mentioned complaints or symptoms. For this reason, every person who has had breast augmentation surgery with a silicone implant should examine himself periodically, and even if he has no complaints, he should go to a routine breast examination and be checked with a breast MRI at least every 2 years.
Is Tearing of Silicone Breast Implant Dangerous?
The rupture of the outer sheath of the silicone breast implant and the leakage of the silicone gel inside may cause some complaints, but rupture of the implant does not cause breast cancer, reproductive system diseases or connective tissue diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. With the silicone breast prosthesis replacement surgery, the ruptured prosthesis is removed, the pocket is cleaned, the capsule contracture tissue is removed, if any, and a new silicone implant is placed to solve the problem.
How to Change the Silicone Breast Implant?
It is performed in operating room conditions and often under general anesthesia. If an additional surgical procedure such as breast lift and recovery is not considered, the surgical scar from the previous breast augmentation surgery is used. With the incision made from the old scar, the pocket with the prosthesis is reached and the implant is removed.
If there is an implant rupture, the pocket is cleaned very well. If there is a capsule contracture in the pocket where the implant is located, the capsule tissue is partially or completely removed. Sometimes the existing pocket is reshaped, sometimes a completely new pocket is prepared. Finally, a new silicone implant of the planned size, shape and surface is placed.
If breast lift or breast reduction is to be performed together with the silicone implant replacement, new incisions are made on the breast skin according to the surgical technique to be applied, and the implant replacement is performed.
The duration and difficulty of the silicone breast implant replacement surgery are directly proportional to the reason for the implant replacement. While placing only one degree larger implant can be quick and easy, in more complex cases such as silicone rupture and capsular contracture, operations such as cleaning the capsule tissue or preparing a new pocket can increase the duration and difficulty of the operation.
Is Silicone Breast Implant Replacement Surgery Mandatory?
If you do not have any complaints and no problem is detected in routine breast MRI controls, it is not mandatory to have a silicone breast prosthesis replacement surgery.
Can Breast Implant Replacement or Renewal Surgery Be Performed in Turkey?
Patients from all over the world who prefer Turkey for health tourism have intense demands on Turkey for breast implant replacement or replacement surgery. Thanks to the quality doctors and services in Turkey, you can have this surgery done in Turkey safely and at affordable prices. For detailed information, you can contact Fibemed Healthcare from the contact form below and get a free preliminary diagnosis and price quote.
