BREAST IMPLANT EXCHANGE & REMOVAL IN ATLANTA

When the original implant has begun to leak (or has ruptured entirely), the breast may change shape or size as the implant deflates.  Saline implant rupture is immediately obvious because of the rapid deflation, and although saline leakage is not harmful to the body, prompt removal and replacement is typically optimal for aesthetic reasons. Silicone leakage is more gradual and difficult to detect—patients with a ruptured silicone implant may present with swollen, painful breasts, or a burning or tingling sensation in the breast region. Silicone leakage may have negative health implications, and silicone implants must be exchanged as soon as the rupture is detected.

Selecting the perfect size, shape, texture and profile for your breast implants can be a difficult process, and some patients find that they are dissatisfied with the final aesthetic results of their initial breast augmentation procedure. The colloquial term “grapefruit breasts” describes implants that are too large or overfilled, giving the patient a top-heavy appearance—patients may elect to exchange their implants for a smaller size to rectify this situation.  In other cases, patients may seek to replace their saline implants with the silicone variety, to achieve a more natural feel, or to replace their conservatively sized implants with a larger implant. With the broad range of implant varieties available, there is no need for any patient to be unhappy with the look and feel of her implants, and breast implant exchange surgery offers a second chance to patients whose breast surgery goals have yet to be realized.

Implants may need to be replaced to correct placement issues that have developed over time, as a result of implant slippage or the incorrect placement of the implants during the original surgery.  Implant placement issues include implants that hang too low on the chest, or have moved laterally outward and appear to be situated under the armpits. Improperly placed implants may also appear too far apart or too close together. Patients may notice the development of unsightly wrinkles, ripples or ridges on or around the breast region, or the appearance of a “double bubble,” when an overly large implant causes a constricted breast to sit on a visible implant, thereby creating a “pyramid on a dome” look.  In most cases, all of the aforementioned implant placement issues can be rectified with breast implant exchange surgery.