Breast Implant Revision

Breast Implants Revision San Diego & La Jolla

You may be a candidate for breast augmentation revision if:

  • You decide you want different size implants after having already received breast augmentation:
  • You experience capsular contracture (hardening of one or both of your breasts due to the scar capsule squeezing the implant);
  • You have ripples, a deflation or unevenness in size or shape

The Procedure

There are several options for revision of breast augmentation, depending on your individual circumstances, which you will discuss with Dr. Kearney during your consultation. If implants are simply being removed in order to place a different size, the implants can usually be removed through the original incision and a different size will be placed in the same pocket.

If you are experiencing capsular contracture then in addition to the implants being removed, Dr. Kearney will also release and remove as much of the old scar tissue or capsule as possible. Some cosmetic surgeons will simply score or cut the old capsule and replace the implant but Dr. Kearney believes that removing as much as the scar capsule as possible will help reduce the risk of a future capsular contracture. Sometimes an additional incision is necessary for this as it is often easier to release the scar tissue through an inframammary incision.

Occasionally patients simply need what’s referred to as a “pocket revision” when there is unevenness of implants. This can occur if one or both breast implants never drop into the intended pocket and therefore ride a bit high on the chest wall. It can also occur if one or both implants bottom out from the intended pocket and end up sitting too low on the chest wall. A pocket revision usually requires an inframammary incision in order for Dr. Kearney to go in and either tighten up and suture the new pocket or to release the old pocket and allow the implants to drop into place.

Recovery

Dr. Kearney performs San Diego breast implant removal and replacement under general anesthesia and you may go home the same day. In most cases, the recovery from this procedure is reasonably quick since the implant pockets have already been made. Most patients return to work within a few days following the procedure and may return to normal activities within a few weeks.

If you are interested in scheduling a breast implant revision in San Diego or La Jolla, call our office at 800-671-1951.

An Update from us on COVID-19

After careful consideration and at the request of our state, and concern for the health and safety of our patients, we are cancelling all non-essential appointments and surgical procedures starting on 3-20-20. Please take note below of the ways that we are available to you over the next couple of weeks:

  • Appointments:Dr. Kearney will still be seeing a small number of post operative appointments over the next couple of weeks as well as any patients that require immediate attention or medical care, by appointment only. We are calling and emailing all patients who currently have appointments scheduled in the next 2 weeks to notify them and reschedule
  • Phone: We will be working remotely and able to answer questions as well as schedule future appointments and surgeries by calling our main number: 858.677.9352. Please note, however, that we will have reduced hours over the next couple of weeks so be sure to call during these times: M-F 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If you have an urgent matter outside of these hours and need to speak to Dr. Kearney please call 619-270-4935.
  • Answering machine: Please do NOT leave important messages on the after hours greeting during the next 2 weeks as they may not be checked in a timely manner. Instead, we ask you to call or email during the above hours and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
  • Email: We will have access to email and our patient scheduling system and will be available to check and respond to emails M-F from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If you reach us outside of these hours please allow 24-48 hours for a response. You can continue to email the patient coordinator you’ve been in contact with or simply use [email protected]
  • Virtual consultations: Can’t come in for an appointment right now? No problem! Dr. Kearney is able to offer phone consultations during the next couple of weeks. Simply email us at [email protected] or call 858-677-9352 during the above hours and we will let you know the simple steps to take.

We apologize for any inconvenience the above changes may cause and are hoping things return to “normal” as soon as possible. Please stay safe and healthy and let’s all try to remain as positive as possible during this time of uncertainty.

We appreciate all of you and look forward to seeing you again very soon!

Sincerely,

Dr. Kearney and staff

858.677.9352

www.kearneymd.com

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