Breast Implant Revision Surgery / Corrective Breast Implants

Dr Tavakoli's Philosophy

Poor outcome after breast surgery is devastating and can cause the patient severe psychological issues. Dr Tavakoli has a great deal of experience in correcting post breast augmentation complications. Almost half of patients seeking Breast Augmentation for the first time can get a good result by any surgeon here or overseas. The other half requires a Plastic surgeon with a very specific knowledge of breast variations and a wide variety of technique.

Around 20% of Dr Tavakoli's practice is dedicated to performing revisional surgery on patients who have received poor outcome or have had implants for 10 years or more are and due to have them changed.

Most of these unsatisfactory outcomes occur as a result of poor patient selection and inadequate surgical skills to deal with a difficult breast conditions. Other problems can occur as a result of poor healing and scarring of the patient. Please note that the fees/costs for corrective surgery are higher than primary augmentation.

Dr Tavakoli is widely renowned in Australia for his Breast Augmentation Work. Dr Tavakoli performs by far the most number of Breast Implants in Australia. Patients travel from Interstate, New Zealand, Asia and USA to our clinic. With over 3,000 cosmetic breast procedures, you know you are dealing with an experienced Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon you can trust. Whether it is dealing with very difficult droopy or tuberous breast shapes needing complex mastopexy procedures, or simply wanting breast enlargement Dr Tavakoli aims to provide you with surgically safe and artistically natural looking breasts.

Please note that Dr Tavakoli is a Breast Augmentation leader who specialises in Minimal Incision and Rapid Recovery Technique.



MEDICAL TOURISM ALERT:

Travelling overseas for cosmetic surgery just to save money can lead to poor outcomes, often with avoidable complications, little or no recourse to return for additional revisional treatment, and sometimes resulting in tragic consequences.

Revision Breast Augmentation/Implants/ Corrective Breast Procedures offered by Dr Tavakoli, FRACS


Dr Tavakoli has a large referral base of women with poor breast augmentation outcome from other centres in Australia and New Zealand. These terrible complications or undesired outcomes are very rare in experienced hands but no plastic surgeon in the world including Dr Tavakoli has a zero complication rate. However as Breast Augmentation is becoming more and more popular the number of inexperienced surgeons performing this procedure has increased exponentially and hence the rise in complications.

Unfortunately in great majority of revisional cases patients are psychologically affected and counselling is required to help patients through the corrective surgery. Dr Tavakoli 's team can organise counselling for patients undergoing corrective breast surgery. Most revisional patients will also suffer the added stress of being financially affected, as a result of choosing the cheaper alternative.

Dr Tavakoli has a great deal of experience in correcting post breast augmentation complications. Most of these unsatisfactory outcomes occur as a result of poor patient selection and inadequate surgical skills to deal with a difficult breast condition but other problems can occur as a result of delayed healing and scarring of the patient. Please note that the fees/costs for corrective surgery are higher than primary augmentation.

Find out more about Breast Implants
View Breast Implant Before and After Images

  1. Capsulectomy or Excision of capsule for hardness

It is not fully understood the reason for this occurrence of this condition. Capsular hardening or contracture is more common in certain ethnic groups such as Asians and Africans. It can however affect any racial group. The hardening is caused by excessive scar tissue forming around the implants. It can occur as early as 6 weeks after surgery and as late as 10 years. The best way of preventing this is to massage the augmented breasts in the postoperative period so that the capsule forms softly around the implant. The breast hardening process or capsular contracture can have both cosmetic and pain implications.

The capsulectomy operation removes the hard capsule and the new implants are inserted in a fresh pocket preferably behind the pectoralis muscle. In these situations the use of Polyurethane coated implants are recommended

2. Change of Implant Pocket

There are many reasons why one would opt for change of implant pocket.

A. Rippling and Implant Edge Visibility are hard to get rid of. One way is for the patient to put a small amount of weight and increase the padding around her breasts. Exchange of implant to smooth high filled implant &/or going behind the muscle also can be very helpful manoeuvres. Fat grafting is also emerged as a possible solution but again best that the patient puts on small amount of weight.

B. Placing the implant behind the pectoralis muscle can create an issue namely "winking". In most patients this is not a major issue but in some women with strong muscles, flexing the pecs can create a pull effect that may look undesirable. I normally recommend no surgery for this condition, but some may want to opt to have the implant placed in front of the muscle.

3. Implant Pocket Re-adjustment or Capsulorrhaphy

Implant Malposition and Displacement: Migration can occur from time to time usually in patients that exercise excessively. If the condition doesn't respond to taping then a formal pocket re-adjustment or new pocket formation needs to take place.

4. Excessive Cleavage Gap

Excessive Cleavage Gap between breasts creating eg "Tori Spelling" & "Posh Spice" boobs. This condition usually arises from poor choice of implant and inadequate submuscular dissection.

By further dissection and appropriate use of a broader based implant this condition can be improved. Please note that some women are prone to having this issue as a result of the poor curvature of their chest wall.

5. Symmastia or Synmastia or "Mono-Breast" or "Uni-Boob" or "Kissing Implants"

This condition is described where there is no cleavage or very tight cleavage. Patients can be born with this condition or acquire it after Breast Augmentation.

If apparent immediately after breast augmentation it has occured as a result of overdissection centrally and/or use of very large based implant so that the implants are left too close in the middle. It can also develop months later but overzealous use of "push-up" bras creating thinning of tissue centrally. Eitherway the condition of Symmastia is very distressing to patients.

Surgical treatment is possible but needs complex re-adjustment of the pockets using permanent suture technique and smaller size implants with narrower base.

In Mild cases a Thong Bra (www.thongbra.com) maybe all that is needed and avoiding push up bras.

In Moderate cases if the implants are submuscular the choices are either to suture down the tissues centrally with permanent sutures and dissect the pocket laterally so the implants have room to shift outwards. If the implants are subglandular the implants need to be placed in a new submuscular pocket.

In Severe cases the implants have to be removed for 6-12 months and replaced after pocket healing has taken place

Post operatively ALL patients need to wear a Special Bra for 3 months with no activity.

6. Scar Revision

Scar revision may be needed for poor scarring such as Hypertrophic scar or Keloid. Prior to scar revision I recommend the FRAXEL laser technology to improve the quality of the scar and /or a course of intralesional steroid injections.

Failing the latter then formal surgery on the scar by re-cutting and suturing will certainly improve the quality of the scar.

Case Study:

28 year old with previously poor scarring around the nipple-areolar area (white stretched scar) and Symmastia has had both issues resolved after corrective surgery by Dr Tavakoli.

7. Simple Exchange of Implants

For size issues (usually seeking a bigger Cup size) or content (usually Saline To Gel)

8. Correction of "Double-Bubble" syndrome

This is a condition where the implant and the native breast are in completely different anatomical levels. Routine subpectoral mammary augmentation in women with a small breast lower pole deficiency often results in poor late results with the appearance of a double-bubble deformity. The surgical correction is complex and requires the need for a series of a. excision of breast tissue, b. pocket adjustment or capsulorrhaphy and c. exchange of implants or any combination of the above.

9. Reconstruction after Removal of Infected Implant

Breast implant infections are extremely rare but as this overseas "Thailand" breast job demonstrates they can unfortunately occur.

Reconstruction was successfully performed in this case demonstrated by Dr Tavakoli.

10. Correction of Breast Implant Bottoming Out

This condition is a form of Implant migration. Although can be seen with all types of augmentation it is more common with smooth implants.

The treatment is very complicated and involves pocket repair and exchange with polyurethane coated implants.

11. Replacement of Ruptured Implant

Plastic Surgeon Dr Tavakoli's carries out complex corrective Breast Augmentation surgery on patients Mindy B and Lauren G who had botched surgeries performed in Thailand and Malaysia respectively.

MEDICAL TOURISM ALERT: Travelling overseas for cosmetic surgery just to save money can lead to poor outcomes, often with avoidable complications, little or no recourse to return for additional revisional treatment, and sometimes resulting in tragic consequences.

In the light of the recent controversy in the media regarding the faulty French breast implant manufacturer PIP, I would like to go on record as saying that I have NEVER used these implants as I had suspected their poor quality as early as 2005. The majority of my patients have had the American made Allergan-McGhan or Mentor implants.

Unfortunately there are 4000 Australian women out there with the PIP implants. It is my firm belief as a Breast Augmentation expert that these faulty implants need to be replaced soon as their risk of rupture is too high for a medical grade prostheses.

Dr K TAVAKOLI, FRACS Plastic Surgeon