Breast revision surgery provides a solution for women who’ve been unhappy with the results of prior breast surgery. Revision surgery also helps women who have developed aesthetic issues over time, like implant rippling or breast drooping.

The revision procedure offers women the opportunity to have their breast implant or other issues corrected to achieve the natural, symmetrical look they want. In some cases, breast revision surgery also eliminates discomfort or pain. If your prior breast implant surgery needs corrective measures, a skilled NY breast revision surgeon can help.

Breast Revision Must Be Tailored to You

Each revision surgery is unique. The key to achieving the result you want is to choose the right expert partner—a top NY area breast revision surgeon, who’s also the best plastic surgeon for you.

Finding a Breast Revision Surgeon in NY or NJ

  • Remember that your NJ breast revision surgeon should be board certified in plastic surgery, concentrate their practice on breast surgery specifically and have years of experience. Your chosen plastic surgeon for breast revision must have demonstrated great results, such as a large portfolio of photos that you can view and discuss. You can also ask to speak to a former patient who has undergone breast revision.
  • Once you’re certain of your NJ or NY breast revision surgeon’s qualifications and artistic sensibility, make sure you communicate well with one another. Your surgeon should examine your breasts to determine what might need to be revised and assess your skin elasticity, thickness, etc.
  • Then, you need to convey to your surgeon the problems that you’d like to correct and the final outcome you would like to see. Talk about size, lift, cleavage, proportionality with the rest of your body and your preferences. This helps your surgeon make a plan for your breast revision and allows him or her to estimate the outcome and improvement that you can expect from your surgery.

Breast Revision Prep: Explain Your Goals

Make sure your surgeon hears you, understands your needs and desires, and discusses how your goals can be accomplished surgically. Don’t assume your surgeon can see what’s wrong and knows what to correct — because some of the changes you’re looking for may be due to personal preference.

Your surgeon won’t know what bothers you if you don’t discuss it. You may think your areolae are too large or stretched, but your surgeon may consider them average, and might not see this as a problem in need of correction unless you make your preferences clear.

Going into Detail about Breast Revision

For a successful breast revision surgery in NY, never assume. Discuss. For instance, you may take for granted that you will have major cleavage if you’re having a revision with larger implants and a breast lift — but your anatomy may preclude this, or your surgeon may need to choose a particular type of implant to achieve it.

If you neglect to discuss a detail like this, one that’s important to you, you may not get the result you expect. Knowing what to expect after breast revision is key to your satisfaction with your outcome!

Don’t forget to discuss how you want your breasts to feel, not just how you want them to look. For instance, if you have breast pain, or feel your current implants are too soft or too hard, let your surgeon know and he or she may suggest a different type of implant.

Refining and Defining Your Goals for Breast Revision

If your goals are too ambitious considering your anatomy and current condition, your surgeon should let you know. He or she should then explain what you can realistically expect after your procedure. Once you and your NJ breast surgeon agree on the breast revision goals, and you understand the procedure and risks, you’re ready to go forward with surgery.

You should, at that point, be sitting in a room with a NY plastic surgeon that you trust, feeling confident with the new, youthful breast contour you’ll soon enjoy.

Breast Revision Q and A

Use your time wisely when you meet with your NJ plastic surgeon and prepare your most important questions in advance. Although you should never feel rushed, there are lots of details to cover in planning breast surgery, especially revision.

Expect your NY breast surgeon to ask you lots of questions as well, because s/he should be very interested in learning about you and your needs. If you have burning questions that aren’t on this list, be sure to add them!

Key questions to ask your NY breast revision surgeon:

1. Am I a good candidate for breast revision?

Provided that you’re in good health, with realistic expectations, and you don’t smoke, you’re likely to be a good candidate for a successful breast revision. If you’re planning a future pregnancy, you may not be an ideal candidate in that the hormonal and weight changes will affect the longevity of your result. This doesn’t mean you can’t have the surgery, but discussing your plans with your surgeon ensures that you know what to expect.

2. What problems can breast revision solve for me?

Common reasons that women seek breast revision include:

  • You want larger (or smaller) breasts/implants.
  • Scar tissue has formed around an implant, crowding it, making it feel hard and move higher on your chest (capsular contracture).
  • You’d like to correct breast asymmetry. (One breast may be noticeably larger than the other or have a lower nipple, for example. Remember that some minor asymmetry is natural. Talk to your surgeon about how “perfectly aligned” you can manage.)
  • You’ve developed a rippled, wavy implant, displaced breast implant, or implants have grown closer together or bottomed out.
  • A saline implant has deflated or an MRI showed a leaking silicone implant.
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding, weight loss or gain has led to skin stretching, breast drooping or sagging.
  • You need a breast lift — you initially got implants only.
  • You want another type of implant (saline or silicone).
  • You aren’t happy with the placement or projection of your current breast implants.
  • You want your breast implants removed permanently (removed and not replaced.)

3. What is capsular contracture? Do I have capsular contracture? How bad is it?

This is one of the more common reasons women seek breast implant revision. The surgical solution is called capsulectomy, which is the removal of the scar tissue and the pocket in which the implant sits. Elite breast revision surgeons in NY and NJ use a number of techniques to prevent contracture.

These include preventing contamination as the implant is handled and placed, placing proper incision, choosing the appropriate implant—smooth or textured, and more. Small amounts of scar tissue are normal and benign. If contracture reaches level 3 (firmer and bulging) or level 4, with breast pain, it is time for breast revision.

4. Will I get new implants with breast revision?

Generally, yes. It doesn’t increase the cost much and even if you’re keeping the same size and type, starting fresh is a good thing. Today’s implants are better quality than they were in the past and they should last longer.

5. What if I don’t want my implants to be replaced?

If you’d like to go back to your natural breasts, having implants removed without replacement, you can still achieve an attractive result when you choose a top NJ breast revision surgeon. Discuss what you can expect with your surgeon.

6. What occurs during breast revision surgery?

Breast revision often involves some combination of removing or replacing of breast implants, changing implant type or size, removing scar tissue and/or lifting the breasts.

7. Will my breast revision scars be worse than my first surgery?

Your NY breast surgeon may be able to improve your prior scar appearance during revision surgery. He or she will often re-use the same incision areas.

8. Is recovery from a breast revision more involved than my primary breast surgery? Do I need to take more time off work? If so, how much?

Drains are removed within a week of surgery. You will likely need about a week off from work (in an office setting). You should not lift, strain your upper body or exercise vigorously for a month to 6 weeks. Be sure to follow your surgeon’s specific guidance on this timeline.

9. What is included in the surgical fee? What is not covered?

Top NY breast surgeons should be completely upfront about costs and should be able to give you an all-inclusive figure. Line items include the consultation fee, surgery center fee (hours spent), surgeon’s fee, anesthesiologist’s fee, implant costs, and surgical bra if supplied. Follow up visits (as many as you need) should be included, but be sure to ask, if it’s not specified.

10. What are the risks of breast revision?

Learning about the risks of breast revision surgery and anesthesia help you to make an informed choice about surgery. In addition, ask your surgeon how often particular complications occur. You should also learn just how he or she would deal with any complication. The best plastic surgeons, specializing in breast revision, will know how to minimize the chance of complication and handle any that may arise so that your health is protected and you still get an excellent result.

At Cohen/Winters Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery in Bergen County, NJ, we’re happy to answer all of your questions about breast revision as it applies to you, personally. We can, in the vast majority of cases, improve greatly on your prior breast surgery. Learn about the options available to you for attractive and natural breasts, with or without new implants. Contact us to schedule your consultation today.


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Dr. Cohen

About Dr. Cohen

Dr. Cohen specializes in breast lifts, augmentations, revisions and reductions as well as breast cancer reconstructions. A long time dream of Dr. Cohen’s was to travel to developing countries and provide expert surgical care to those who have no other possible access to medical care. This became a reality in 2007 when she became a founding member and Vice President of ISMS Operation Kids.