A result that didn't hold, didn't fit, or never felt right is rarely fixed by swapping an implant. Revision at RG starts with a structural diagnosis: what actually failed — pocket, tissue, support, or plan — and what it will take to rebuild it correctly.
Every revision starts with a different failure pattern — and the correction has to match the cause, not the symptom.
Bottoming out, lateral drift, or symmastia — the pocket no longer holds the implant where it belongs.
Scar tissue tightening around the implant, changing feel and shape — graded and treated by severity.
Tissue sliding off a fixed implant when support failed — a structural problem, not an implant problem.
Downsizing, exchanging, or removing implants as goals and bodies change over time.
Visible or palpable implant edges where tissue coverage has thinned.
A good result from years ago that pregnancy, weight change, or time has undone.
Secondary surgery works inside an operated field: stretched tissue, established scar planes, a pocket that already failed once. Repeating the primary operation repeats the primary result — revision demands a different level of planning.
What actually failed — pocket, tissue, support, or the original plan. Imaging and exam before any decision.
Repairing, reinforcing, or relocating the pocket with internal-bra support concepts.
Exchange, downsize, reposition, or remove — with fat grafting where it serves the shape.
Lift components and framing liposculpting as needed so the revised breast reads balanced on the body.
A simple exchange recovers faster than a pocket reconstruction — your specific timeline is set at consultation. As a general guide:
Support bra, walking same day; discomfort typically less than the primary surgery for exchanges, more for reconstructions.
Desk work resumes for most patients.
Swelling resolves progressively; light exercise returns.
Revised structure settles; final result establishes on the longer end for complex rebuilds.
Not usually. Revision typically involves evaluating pocket position, tissue stretch, asymmetry, scar patterns, and support strategy — and correcting why the prior result no longer fits your goals or anatomy. An exchange without that analysis often repeats the problem.
For dissatisfaction with shape or size, it's generally best to wait until the result has fully settled — around 6 to 12 months after the primary. Problems like malposition, contracture, or rupture are addressed on their own timeline once diagnosed.
Not at all — a large portion of revision patients come from elsewhere. Bring any records you have (implant cards, operative notes), and the analysis starts fresh from your anatomy as it is today.
Recurrence is possible, which is why contracture revision addresses the capsule surgically and applies modern prevention principles — no-touch insertion, infection-reduction protocol, and pocket-plane decisions that lower the risk of recurrence.
Explant is a valid plan. Depending on your tissue, removal may be combined with a lift or fat grafting so the breast retains shape without implants — planned honestly at consultation.
Bring your history — leave with a structural explanation of what happened and a realistic plan to rebuild it.
