What to do if you are unhappy with your breast implant reconstruction results

?? When Your Breast Reconstruction Needs Revision: Getting a Better Result with Dr. Suzman

By: Dr. [Insert Dr. Sussman's First Name] Sussman

Unhappy with your breast reconstruction outcome? You are not alone. Learn how Dr. Suzman, a board-certified plastic surgeon, can help you achieve a better, more comfortable, and natural result.

In the decades since the advancement of modern breast reconstruction techniques, we have seen incredible progress in breast cancer care. For many, breast reconstruction after a mastectomy or lumpectomy can be a life-affirming, gratifying, and positive experience. The results achievable today are truly remarkable compared to earlier techniques.

However, when the initial breast reconstruction doesn't meet expectations, patients can feel anywhere from disappointed to devastated. Revision breast reconstruction is a complex and nuanced field, but it offers significant hope.

Why Do Poor Results Occur?

Breast reconstruction is challenging. The human body is not stone or wood; operating on it requires artistic skill and deep medical knowledge. In some cases, poor results occur due to:

 * Difficult Healing: Issues like thin post-mastectomy skin, poor initial blood supply, or complications from treatments like chemotherapy and radiation can impair healing, despite the medical team's best efforts.

 * Aesthetic Disappointment: The final size, shape, or contour may not match the patient's desired outcome.

 * Discomfort or Pain: Scar capsule contracture or implant issues can lead to tightness and discomfort.

The Power of Revision Surgery

The good news is that many factors that make initial healing difficult are not present during revision procedures. Once you are months or years past your initial surgery and cancer treatments:

 * Tissue Stability: The skin is well-healed, with a new, stable blood supply, making it much more resilient to surgery.

 * Systemic Health: If you are a year or more past chemotherapy and radiation, your body's ability to heal is significantly improved.

When a talented surgeon like Dr. Sussman has the opportunity to evaluate your healed form and make adjustments, the potential for improvement in shape, comfort, and happiness is immense.

Common Problems and Solutions:

Dr. Suzman specializes in revision breast reconstruction to address a wide range of issues:

1. Failed Implant Reconstruction

This occurs in a small percentage of patients due to poor healing, infection, or seroma, often requiring implant removal.

 * When to Act: Once all cancer treatments are complete, reconstruction can be resumed with a new tissue expander or implant. The risk of complication is much lower in this stable, healed environment.

 * Radiation Solution: For patients with previous radiation, non-irradiated, healthy tissue is essential. Dr. Suzman may use techniques like fat grafting or bringing in new tissue via a latissimus flap (from the back) or an abdominal-based flap (like DIEP or TRAM) to provide the necessary healthy coverage and natural shape.

2. Inadequate Size, Shape, or Projection

The most common complaint is often a lack of desired size or projection, or an unnatural shape.

 * Too Little Projection/Volume: Additional volume can be added once the body has fully healed (typically over 12 months). This is often achieved by switching to a better-shaped implant and incorporating fat grafting. Fat grafting involves liposuction from the abdomen or thighs, injecting the harvested fat into the breast to soften contours, fill hollows, and provide a more natural, gradual slope.

 * Too Broad, Heavy, or Large: For patients who feel their implants are too heavy or wide, Dr. Suzman can downsize the implant and narrow the surrounding soft tissue coverage in an outpatient procedure. This often reduces discomfort.

3. Contracture or Tightness (Capsular Contracture)

The body forms a scar capsule around all implants. In some patients, especially after radiation, this capsule tightens, deforming the implant and causing hardness and pain.

 * Dr. Suzman’s Approach: Dr. Suzman has found great success in first treating the radiated or tight skin with fat grafting to improve tissue health. After a healing period (6-12 weeks), the implant can be revised or repositioned, often moving to a pre-pectoral position (above the muscle) to provide a significant and lasting improvement.

4. Rippling or Hollowing of the Upper Chest

In thinner patients, a round implant may not adequately fill the upper chest, creating an abrupt contour, hollowing, or visible ripples.

 * Solution: Switching to a higher-projected implant or using targeted fat grafting can smooth the transition from the implant edge to the chest wall, restoring a natural, aesthetically pleasing curve.

You deserve to feel whole and comfortable in your body. Making the decision to undergo a revision is a vital step toward achieving that goal.

Dr.  Michael Suzman is a board-certified plastic surgeon who is widely regarded as an expert in Plastic surgery of the breast face and body. His extensive experience allows him to accurately diagnose the source of your dissatisfaction and craft a personalized surgical plan—whether it involves implant exchange, flap surgery, or advanced fat grafting techniques—to help you move from disappointment to satisfaction.

Take the next step toward a better outcome.