Failed Breast Implants and Capsular Contracture

Signs something isn't right

Implant problems can show up months or even many years after your original surgery. The most common are a breast that has become firm, tight, or painful (capsular contracture), implants that have slipped too low or drifted apart, visible rippling, and rupture or deflation. Sometimes nothing is technically wrong at all. You just want a different size or shape than the one you chose years ago.

What causes capsular contracture

Your body naturally forms a thin layer of scar tissue around any implant. In some people, that layer thickens and tightens, squeezing the implant into a rounder, higher, or distorted shape. It can happen on one side or both.

Implants also aren't lifetime devices. A saline rupture is usually obvious because the breast deflates. A silicone rupture can be silent, which is why imaging is sometimes needed to confirm it.

What revision can involve

Dr. Kim performs breast revision himself, and every case is planned individually. Depending on what's going on, that might mean removing the scar capsule, replacing or resizing the implants, repositioning the pocket, adding a breast lift, or taking the implants out entirely.

Revision is usually more involved than a first augmentation, so bring any records you have from your original surgery. Knowing the implant type, size, and placement makes planning much easier.