Can I Replace My Breast Implants With Breast Revision Surgery?

If you are unhappy with your current breast implants or they have changed over time, you may not need to start over with an entirely different surgical procedure. Breast implant replacement with breast revision surgery allows Dr. Robert Spies to remove your existing implants and, when appropriate, replace them with new implants that better suit your current anatomy and aesthetic goals.

Breast implants are not designed to last forever, and some patients eventually choose replacement because of aging implants, changes in breast tissue, implant complications, or a change in personal preference. Breast revision surgery in Scottsdale, AZ, gives you an opportunity to address those concerns while creating a treatment plan based on what you want now.

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Table of Contents

• Why Would I Replace My Breast Implants?
• Can I Change the Size or Type of My Implants During Breast Revision?
• Can Breast Revision Replace a Ruptured Implant?
• What If Scar Tissue Has Formed Around My Implant?
• Can Breast Revision Correct Implant Position at the Same Time?
• Will I Need a Breast Lift When Replacing My Implants?
• What Should I Expect From Breast Implant Replacement Surgery?
• Why Choose Dr. Spies for My Breast Implant Revision Surgery?
• Breast Implant Replacement FAQs
• Replace Your Breast Implants With Dr. Robert Spies in Scottsdale, AZ

Why Would I Replace My Breast Implants?

There is no single reason patients choose breast implant replacement. Your implants may still be intact, but your preferences, lifestyle, or breast anatomy may have changed since your first surgery.

Common reasons for breast implant replacement include:

• Changing the size of your implants
• Choosing a different implant profile or material
• Replacing aging implants
• Correcting implant rupture or deflation
• Addressing capsular contracture
• Improving implant rippling on the implant surface
• Correcting implant displacement or malposition
• Improving changes caused by pregnancy, weight loss, or aging
• Updating breast augmentation results that no longer match your aesthetic preferences

Breast revision can address both cosmetic concerns and complications from previous breast augmentation.

Can I Change the Size or Type of My Implants During Breast Revision?

One of the advantages of breast implant replacement is that you can reconsider choices you made during your original augmentation.

You may decide that you want larger implants, smaller implants, a different profile, or a different implant material. Breast revision can allow patients to update the size, profile, and material of their breast implants.

Your current anatomy still plays an important role in determining which options make sense. Breast tissue quality, skin elasticity, implant pocket dimensions, existing scar tissue, and your overall proportions can all influence your surgical plan.

During your consultation, Dr. Spies can evaluate these factors and discuss implant choices that fit your goals.

Can Breast Revision Replace a Ruptured Implant?

Breast revision surgery can remove a ruptured or deflated implant and replace it with a new implant.

Implants can rupture because of factors such as age, wear and tear, or trauma. Saline implant rupture generally causes noticeable deflation as the saline leaves the implant shell. Silicone implant rupture may be less obvious because modern silicone gel tends to remain cohesive rather than freely leaking.

If you suspect an implant problem, your treatment plan will depend on the implant type, your symptoms, examination findings, and any imaging Dr. Spies recommends.

Replacing the damaged implant may also give you an opportunity to reconsider implant size, style, or other aspects of your initial breast augmentation.

What If Scar Tissue Has Formed Around My Implant?

Your body naturally creates a capsule of scar tissue around a breast implant. In some patients, that capsule can tighten around the implant, a condition called capsular contracture.

Capsular contracture can cause firmness, discomfort, pain, or changes in the shape and position of the breast. Breast revision can remove the affected implant, address the surrounding scar tissue as needed, and place a new implant when replacement fits the patient's goals.

The exact amount of capsule that needs treatment varies by patient. Your surgical plan should depend on your anatomy and the reason for revision rather than assuming that every patient requires the same type or extent of capsulectomy.

Can Breast Revision Correct Implant Position at the Same Time?

Replacing the implant alone may not correct every concern.

If an implant has shifted, stretched the implant pocket, dropped below the breast crease, or otherwise moved out of its intended position, Dr. Spies may need to adjust the tissues supporting the implant pocket during revision surgery. After removing the implants, he may tighten the tissues supporting the pocket and use additional techniques as necessary to improve the result.

This approach matters because a new implant still needs an appropriately positioned and supported pocket. Correcting the pocket while replacing the implant can help address concerns such as implant malposition, bottoming out, or asymmetry when those issues are present.

Will I Need a Breast Lift When Replacing My Implants?

Not every breast implant replacement requires a breast lift.

However, pregnancy, weight changes, aging, and the long-term presence of implants can affect breast skin and tissue. If significant sagging has developed, replacing the implants alone may not provide the breast shape you want.

Dr. Spies may combine breast revision with breast lift surgery for selected patients when lifting and reshaping the breast tissue would improve the overall result.

A consultation is the best way to determine whether implant replacement alone can address your concerns or whether additional tissue reshaping may be appropriate.

What Should I Expect From Breast Implant Replacement Surgery?

Dr. Spies will first evaluate your current implants, breast tissue, previous scars, and goals.

Whenever possible, he attempts to use the same incision location from your original breast augmentation. Depending on the correction required, incision options can include the fold beneath the breast, around the areola, or a breast lift incision.

After removing your existing implants, Dr. Spies may:

• Place new breast implants
• Address excess or restrictive scar tissue
• Tighten or adjust the implant pocket
• Correct implant positioning
• Perform additional tissue reshaping when necessary

Because breast revision is highly individualized, your surgery may involve only some of these steps.

Why Choose Dr. Spies for My Breast Implant Revision Surgery?

You do not need to choose your new implants on your own. An experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon can analyze your concerns and tailor your treatment plan to your individual breast anatomy and profile.

With over 35 years of extensive cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery experience, Dr. Robert Spies is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. His surgical approach centers on discussing your goals and developing an individualized surgical plan before surgery. He emphasizes personal attention and patient education, ensuring you feel supported and informed throughout your treatment experience.

Your consultation can help determine whether changing implant size, profile, material, or position can create a result that better fits your current preferences.

Breast Implant Replacement FAQs

Do breast implants have to be replaced every 10 years?

Not automatically. Implants may last 10 years or longer, but breast implants are not lifetime devices. Revision may become necessary if an implant fails, complications develop, or you simply want to change your results.

Can I go smaller when replacing my breast implants?

Yes. Breast revision can replace your implants with smaller implants when your anatomy and treatment goals allow. Dr. Spies will evaluate your skin and breast tissue to determine whether implant replacement alone can provide the shape you want or whether additional correction may be appropriate.

Can I replace my implants even if nothing is wrong with them?

Yes. Breast revision can be elective. You may choose replacement because you want to change the size, profile, material, or overall appearance of your implants even when you do not have a complication.

Can I remove my implants instead of replacing them?

Yes. Breast revision can involve removing implants entirely rather than replacing them. Dr. Spies also offers breast implant removal for patients who want to return to a natural, implant-free breast appearance.

Can both implants be replaced if only one has a problem?

The appropriate approach depends on your implants, their age, your breast anatomy, and your goals. Dr. Spies can evaluate both breasts and recommend a surgical plan designed to address the problem while maintaining balance and symmetry.

How much does breast implant replacement cost?

Breast revision pricing varies because the extent of surgery differs from patient to patient. Influencing factors can include surgical fees, anesthesia fees, and the techniques required. You will receive an individualized cost estimate after your consultation and surgical plan.

Replace Your Breast Implants With Dr. Robert Spies in Scottsdale, AZ

Your original breast surgery results may no longer reflect what you want today. Whether you are dealing with an aging implant, a complication, changes in your breast tissue, or simply a different aesthetic preference, breast revision surgery can give you the opportunity to replace your implants and create a surgical plan around your current goals.

To learn whether breast implant replacement with revision surgery is right for you, call (480) 359-1019 or use the online contact form to schedule your personal consultation with Dr. Spies today.