Breast revision · Implant exchange
Breast revision: Compare practices from our network
Breast revision replaces or corrects implants from an earlier augmentation, whether for capsular contracture, rupture, or a change of mind. It starts with understanding why.
Our network
Breast revision providers from Adoreal's partner network.
London · United Kingdom
iQonic Aesthetics
Capsulectomy for capsular contracture, with the implant replaced or removed depending on your needs.
London · United Kingdom
iQonic Aesthetics
Capsulectomy for capsular contracture, with the implant replaced or removed depending on your needs.
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How to choose a breast revision surgeon
Board certification is the starting point. The details below are worth weighing carefully when you're choosing the surgeon who's right for your goals.
Here's what to look for before you decide:
A good revision surgeon starts with why, not with new implants.
Capsular contracture, rupture, an implant that has moved, and a wish for a different size each call for a different plan. A surgeon worth trusting finds out what went wrong, or what changed, before recommending anything, and explains how the plan deals with it.
The capsule and the pocket belong in the conversation.
With capsular contracture, swapping the implant alone is often not enough: part or all of the capsule may need to come out, and an implant that has dropped or shifted may need its pocket repaired. Ask what will be done to the capsule and the pocket, and why.
The best surgeons are honest about recurrence and further surgery.
Revision is usually more complex than a first augmentation, and capsular contracture can come back after treatment. A surgeon who explains that plainly, including what happens if it does, respects your ability to decide with full information.
Transparency about your plan and expectations is non-negotiable.
Your surgeon should be comfortable documenting the new implant type and size, its placement, what will be done to the capsule, whether a lift is included, and what recovery looks like week by week, and sharing that with you in writing.
Before your consultation, prepare this question
“What do you think caused the problem, and what will you do differently this time to keep it from coming back?”
A surgeon who answers directly, rather than deflecting, is one who puts your outcome above the booking.
Find a Breast Revision ProviderAbout the treatment
About breast revision
People come to revision for different reasons: a problem with the implant, such as capsular contracture or rupture, or because their body, or what they want, has changed since the first operation.
Implants are not lifetime devices, but modern implants have no fixed date by which they must be changed. The reason to revise is a problem or a change in your goals, not the calendar alone.
What is breast revision?
Breast revision is surgery to change or correct the result of an earlier breast augmentation. It usually means removing the existing implants and replacing them, often with a different size or type, and treating the scar capsule or the implant pocket where needed.
Implants are not lifetime devices, but modern implants have no fixed date by which they must be changed. Removing implants without replacing them is also an option.
Why people choose revision
Breasts and implants both change over time. Pregnancy, weight change, and aging alter the tissue around an implant, and the scar capsule around it can tighten.
Breast revision might be an option for you if:
- Your breast has become firm, tight, or painful around the implant
- A scan or a change in size suggests an implant has ruptured
- Your implant sits too low, too far to the side, or has shifted
- You can see or feel rippling or the edges of the implant
- You would like larger, smaller, or a different type of implant
- Your breasts have changed after pregnancy or weight change
Capsular contracture
Scar tissue forms naturally around every implant. In capsular contracture it tightens and hardens, and it can develop gradually over months or years. Surgeons grade it on the Baker scale:
- Grade I: soft and natural.
- Grade II: a little firmer, without pain or visible change.
- Grade III: clearly firm, with visible change in shape.
- Grade IV: hard, painful, and visibly distorted.
Grades III and IV usually need treatment. A capsulotomy releases the capsule by cutting into it; a capsulectomy removes it in part or in full. With contracture, replacing the implant alone is often not enough.
The treatment, step by step
Consultation. Your surgeon reviews your previous surgery, examines your breasts, and talks through what you would like to change. Ultrasound or MRI may be used to check the implants.
Anesthesia. Usually general anesthesia; some straightforward exchanges are done under local anesthesia or sedation. Surgery typically takes one to four hours.
Incisions. Where possible, the scar from your first operation is reused.
Capsule and pocket. The capsule is released or removed if needed, and the pocket can be reshaped with internal stitches.
New implants, or none. New implants are placed, a lift or fat transfer added if planned, or the implants left out.
Closing. Incisions are closed with sutures and the area is supported with a surgical bra.
Recovery and aftercare
Swelling, bruising, and chest tightness are common in the first days. Most people return to desk work within one to three weeks.
- Wear the recommended support bra throughout early healing
- Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for around six weeks
- Attend follow-ups so healing and the implant position can be checked
Final shape and softness usually settle over three to six months.
Risks and side effects
Revision carries the same kinds of risk as a first augmentation, and can be more complex because of scar tissue and earlier surgery:
- Infection or bleeding
- Changes in nipple or breast sensation
- Scarring issues
- Asymmetry
- Capsular contracture returning
- Implant rupture or malposition
- An effect on breastfeeding
- The need for further revision
Common questions
Breast revision questions, answered.
If your question isn't here, ask us directly. A real person answers, and we won't push you toward anything.
Talk to us →Do implants need replacing every ten years?
Not automatically. Modern implants have no fixed expiry date, and many last well beyond ten years. They are not lifetime devices, though, so replacement is usually prompted by a problem or a change in what you want, rather than the calendar alone.
What is capsular contracture?
Scar tissue forms naturally around every implant. Sometimes it tightens and hardens, making the breast feel firm, look distorted, or become painful. It is graded from I (soft and natural) to IV (hard, painful, and visibly changed); grades III and IV usually need treatment.
Capsulotomy or capsulectomy, what's the difference?
A capsulotomy releases the tightened capsule by cutting into it, and suits milder cases with limited deformity. A capsulectomy removes the capsule, in part or in full, and is used for more advanced contracture. The implant is often replaced at the same time.
How do I know if an implant has ruptured?
A ruptured saline implant usually deflates, so the breast gets visibly smaller over hours or days. Silicone ruptures are often silent and do not change how the breast looks or feels, so ultrasound or MRI is used to check.
Can I change size at the same time?
Yes. Going larger or smaller, or changing implant type or shape, is one of the most common reasons for revision. Keeping the same pocket generally makes the operation lighter and recovery quicker, even with a modest size increase.
Will I need a lift as well?
It depends on how your breasts have changed. After pregnancy or a large weight change, the tissue may have stretched enough that new implants alone will not restore the shape, and a lift is added. Your surgeon will usually need to examine you to say.
Can I have my implants removed without replacing them?
Yes. Removal without replacement is an option. It can be combined with a lift or fat transfer to improve shape, or the breasts can be left to settle naturally. It is worth discussing alongside exchange at consultation.
Will I have new scars?
Often not. Where possible, surgeons reuse the incision from your first operation. A lift or pocket repair may add incisions, and your surgeon should show you where in advance.
How long is recovery?
Most people return to desk work within one to three weeks and avoid exercise and heavy lifting for around six weeks. Recovery is usually longer after a capsulectomy or pocket repair than after a straightforward exchange.
Can capsular contracture come back?
It can. Treating the capsule reduces the risk but does not remove it, so a good surgeon discusses recurrence before surgery and plans follow-up after it. Some implant manufacturers offer warranties that cover capsular contracture; check the documents from your first operation.
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