Uneven breast implants are corrected with revision surgery.
Learning that your breast implants are uneven post-surgery is a major shock and disappointment. You went through the trouble and cost to get a symmetrical and balanced look, so to discover that one breast is at a different level, or spread further, is a setback of the operation in your eyes. Lin Europe Clinic team want you to be aware that asymmetry after surgery is a normal occurrence and more importantly, we are able to fix it to a very high degree. Of course, you are not sentenced to live with this outcome.
The solution to “How to fix uneven breast implants?” entirely depends on the reason behind the implants being uneven. The implant pocket being oversized, the muscle healing too tight on one side, or scar tissue formation are all examples of asymmetry causes. Resolving such matters will demand an operation to revise the previous work which is usually more complicated than the initial augmentation. We have expertise in unravelling the problem whether it is malposition, contracture, or natural skeletal differences, and then using accurate surgical strategies to bring back the harmony of your figure.
The Waiting to See Results: Swelling or Real?
It’s important that you don’t get alarmed too soon. Think about where you are in the healing cycle. If you’ve had surgery less than three to six months ago, your present appearance might not be the outcome of the procedure. Also, it is quite common that one breast is at a faster healing stage than the other. For instance, one side can still be swollen or the implant on one side can be held up by the exerted muscle (high riding), which can happen if that is your dominant hand side.
We suggest to all patients that they give themselves at least six months before the “drop and fluff” of the breasts is done and they can think about a revision. This is when the implants are perfectly seated in the pockets and the skin has become relaxed. On the other hand, if it has been more than a year since your surgery and the asymmetry hasn’t gone away or if you experience an abrupt change after a couple of years then a mechanical solution is necessary. Knowing that the first thing you should do is be patient will save you from carrying out a surgery on tissues that are merely in the process of settling.
Rectifying “Bottoming Out”
“Bottoming out” is one of the major reasons for the breasts being of uneven sizes. This situation can result from the fact that the surgically created internal pocket has been excessively stretched at the bottom or the natural inframammary fold (the crease beneath the breast) is unable to support the weight of the implant. The implant is positioned beneath the nipple which then causes it to be pointing upwards, while the volume creates a heavy, low look on the chest wall.
To carry out restoration we perform a pocket revision by capsulorrhaphy – local sutures that strengthen. Coming through the breast, the surgeon tosses the implant to its wonderful spot once more and he uses the permanent suture to close the bottom of the pocket therefore reinforcing the fold creating a kind of tightly cradled and secure hammock for the implant whereby it cannot slip down again.
Repairing “High Riding” and Contracture
When an implant “refuses to drop” this is basically the reverse issue. The pocket might have been made too small but this is not the main reason, the most common cause is a condition called capsular contracture. The scar tissue is wrapped so tightly around the implant that the tissue is pulling it up and squeezing it at the same time putting the implant into a round ball shape. In this way, one breast is going to appear like a perky but artificial one while the other one is going to be looking natural.
The answer to this problem is a capsulotomy or capsulectomy. The surgeon has to first release the tight scar tissue surgically if possible, and if not then he has to take it off. This allows the implant to fall naturally into position consistent with the other side. Sometimes, the use of a special textured implant or a dermal matrix (like an internal skin graft) may be employed to stop the scar from contracting again.
Taking Steps Towards Solution of Lateral Displacement
On some occasions the unevenness is not in the vertical plane but in the horizontal one. One implant may be seen to have slipped entirely into the armpit while the other one remained right in the middle when you were lying down on your back. This phenomenon is called lateral displacement and the reason for its occurrence is that either the outer border of the pocket has been cut too wide or the muscle has been released too aggressively.
The sewing closure of the pocket’s outer edge will solve the problem, creating a narrow boundary. By making the lateral wall stronger, the implant will always be in the centre of the chest even if the person is lying down. The cleavage is therefore restored and at the same time, the unpleasant feeling of having the implant rubbing against the arm is eliminated.
Breast Revision Services Offered in Turkey
You made a great choice in selecting Lin Europe Clinic for your breast revision in Turkey. The reason is that a successful fixing of asymmetry requires the expert understanding of geometry and soft tissue dynamics. The surgeons in Istanbul not only replace the implants but reconstruct the internal supporting structure of the breast. 3D imaging is one of the innovative technologies that we use to quantify the misalignment, and we methodically carry out the pocket adjustments on the basis of the measurements to the nearest millimeter.
We want your stay in Istanbul to be a positive experience in every aspect of it. Your revision recovery in the comfort of a private luxury apartment is guaranteed by our services which include VIP transfers as well. Our medical team provides honest assessments, telling you exactly what can be achieved and guiding you through the secondary healing process. At Lin Europe Clinic, we are dedicated to aligning your results with your original vision.
Frequently Asked Questions About Uneven Implants
Unfortunately, surgical revision is the only option to physically adjust the implant pocket after an implant has settled in a wrong position. Massage might be beneficial in the very early stages, but it won’t be able to correct established asymmetry.
You definitely want to wait at least six months to be on the safe side before you do any revision. This gives time for all swelling to go down and for the implants to get into their final positions.
The internal bra technique consists of putting in a few sutures to strengthen the lower part of the breast pocket. Such a support will keep the implant from going down or “bottoming out” again in the future.
A tilted implant is typically the result of capsular contracture, which is the formation of a tight capsule around the implant that squeezes and lifts it. Another reason could be that the muscle on the side of the body that you use more (your dominant side) is tighter than that on the other and thus it is holding the implant higher.
Recovery from pocket revision is usually much easier and less painful than the initial augmentation. The muscle has already been stretched, so the main thing is to let the internal sutures heal well.
Maxwell, G. P., & Gabriel, A. (2014). Biofilms and breast implants: How the science of biofilms affects the practice of breast surgery. Aesthetic Surgery Journal.
Spear, S. L., & Little, J. W. (1988). Breast augmentation emergence of the saline implant. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. (Note: Covers pocket principles).
Tebbetts, J. B. (2002). Dual plane breast augmentation: optimizing implant-soft-tissue relationships in a wide range of breast types. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
