Implants Change
Implant replacement surgery is a frequent procedure, because mammary implants age with the time. As a rule, any implant used in medicine has a limited life span.
The most frequent reasons for an implant change are: the presence of a capsular contracture, the rupture of the prosthesis, an implant malposition and the patient’s desire of an implant size change. There is no need to proceed to a preventive replacement an implant after a fixed time; with the use of new generation silicone implants we simply change them in the aforementioned situations.
Implant replacement surgery tends to be a more complex than the primary surgery, because of the need to remove the fibrous capsule around the breast prosthesis. Therefore, this procedure carries an increased risk of bleeding, compared to a primary breast augmentation.
Sometimes patients don’t want silicone implants again, so we just proceed to remove them. When desired, this implant removal procedure can be combined with a fat transfer, in order to replace some of the lost volume or with a breast lift, in order to set the breast in a more ideal position.
Medically indicated implant removal (f.ex. because of a rupture or a painful capsular contracture) is usually covered by the Swiss insurances, while the cost of the new implants or other additional procedures are on patient’s charge.
Implant replacement surgery
Duration: 1.5-2.5 hours
Anaesthesia: General or local with IV sedation
Hospital stay: Usually 24-48 hours, sometimes outpatient surgery
Time off work: 7-14 days
