Restructuring the breast pocket to hold the implant more securely. But when a plastic surgeon tries to treat more than minor sagging without a mastopexy (breast lift), it can lead to a double bubble breast deformity. Breast Implant Revision in Atlanta: Replacing Your Implants. To correct it, your surgeon will need to carefully remove portions of or the entire formed capsule and implant and place new implants. Reconstruction Bowl: Academic vs.
Anatomical implants, commonly called "teardrop-shaped" implants, are often desired because they have a very natural shape that creates more fullness in the lower portion of the breasts and taper upward. This treatment forces the implant upward so it sits in the correct position with its bottom at the inframammary crease. It allows patients to view their own preoperative and postoperative photographs at home. This revisionary procedure may lead to a little more scarring than you had after your initial breast augmentation, but it is necessary to correct double bubble deformity and restore the attractive appearance of your breasts. If you are a good candidate for autologous reconstruction, the conversion is possible. Artificial mesh is expensive, rarely provides reliable support, and can cause more scarring and other complications. Can you explain to me why this happened? Double bubble deformity can be identified in two different ways. "I hope that, you know, my story -- it makes other women, makes them really think about what they're doing, " said Vanessa. How Much Does Double Bubble Breast Implant Correction Surgery Cost? This issue can be corrected with breast revision surgery. The following conditions may be considered for breast revision surgery: - Loss of volume after augmentation with implants.
She is known for her personal approach to patient care and has unparalleled commitment to patient safety, which can be attributed to years of education, professional experience and involvement in national patient safety Dr. Alderman. Frequently Asked Questions. The relatively tight crease indents the implant transversely, dividing it in two and creating a second "bubble" beneath the breast. How Can Breast Revision Surgery Correct Double Bubble Deformity?
As with changing to a larger implant size, some patients choose to reduce their implant size after their primary surgery. Improving Outcomes and Reoperations in Breast Augmentation Surgeries: Minimizing Infection and Capsular Contracture. Capsular contracture presents to some extent in around 5% of patients. Visit our Before & After GalleryView Breast Augmentation Revision Results and Save your Favorites >. Type 2 double bubbles can develop immediately after surgery or they may appear months to years later as a result of natural changes that occur with aging. Do you think I stand a fighting chance of having them re-done free of charge as I was not told the correct information? Dr. Barrett will determine the best technique for you. Thus, the internal scar crease tends to be lower once the therapy has concluded ( Figure 1C, F). You may notice your breast implant shifting upward or downward, or you may observe your breast tissue beginning to sag with age while your implants remain in place. Some women who have implant-related complications or are not satisfied with implant reconstructions may want to have conversion to autologous reconstruction with their own tissue. Options in Double Bubble Correction.
He will make every effort to place your new incisions in the same location as your previous ones to avoid additional scarring. Breast Implant Options. Learn more about breast enhancement and revision surgery in the metro Detroit area. If the double bubble occurs shortly after the patient's surgery, sometimes doctors advise to wait and see if this situation improves on its own, but if it develops some time after the surgery, usually a corrective surgical intervention is called for. The challenges and risks may relate to effects of the initial surgery, which include tissue atrophy, a decrease in parenchymal blood supply, and scar formation in the skin and capsule. During the first two weeks of recovery, it is normal to experience some soreness and swelling. It can be very frustrating to undergo breast augmentation surgery, only to find the results do not meet your expectations. During the first two weeks, he will be removing the layers of stitches he placed at the time of your surgery. Double bubble deformity often occurs gradually over time.
Fortunately, there are techniques (such as breast lift surgery) that can address these concerns and provide a better aesthetic result. Several factors can raise the risk: - Weak Inframammary Crease - and some women, the inframammary crease is very poorly defined and almost nonexistent. And this was after weeks of him telling me everything was going right, " said Vanessa. It will either self-correct or it can be corrected by your plastic surgeon. It is true that patients with small amounts of sagging are often corrected with just breast augmentation procedures. But these are relatively quite simple procedures. One other variation of a Type 2 double bubble happens when a capsular contracture develops after breast implant surgery. There is effective surgical treatment for capsular contracture, and there are new techniques and new devices which appear to reduce the risk of recurrent capsular contracture. In case of breast implants, this is usually a thin membrane that remains undetectable externally. If the double bubble is from a capsular contracture, the treatment is a partial or total capsulectomy (removal of scar tissue).
Dr. Handel has extensive experience in correcting these complex secondary breast conditions. Barrett understands this frustration and will work closely with you during the revision process to ensure you have a better outcome the second time around. Often the goal of breast revision is also to improve or change the appearance of the breasts and/or update the breast implant material, which could include: - A concurrent breast reduction or breast lift. In other words, the implant falls below the breast which produces the double bubble effect. Double bubble deformity is when the breast implant falls below the fold of the breast. How Do You Fix The Double Bubble Problem After Breast Augmentation? "The double bubble complication is typically seen after a breast augmentation is performed by a non-qualified individual. When a breast implant falls under the natural breast crease, it can make the lower half of the breast look overly full, with nipples laying unnaturally high on the breast and the upper breast appearing deflated.
He will then adjust the breast pocket, relocate and replace the implant, and tighten the tissues of the breast so that they remain secure. The patient needs to consult with her original plastic surgeon about which double bubble correction surgery is right for her. The breast envelope might need to be tightened and lifted with breast lift (mastopexy). Here, the breast tissue is in the correct place but the high position of the implant creates the appearance of sagging. The Complex Scar: New Strategies to Improve Appearance. Washington, DC, July 2012. Call us today to schedule a consultation to find out more about breast implant revision in Atlanta and Buckhead with Dr. Alderman. If you have two creases on the underside of your breast implants with a second bulge or bubble in between them, you likely have a double bubble.
For example, if on the 10th day after surgery, the patient determines that her breast position is ideal, then she should continue wearing the shoelaces for an additional 10 days (for a total of 20 days). The ability to lower the inframammary crease without surgery has changed my practice in that I am more aggressive in cases of breast ptosis, where I may need to raise the inframammary crease, because I know that I can correct for this afterward—nonsurgically. Alternately, your implants may rupture, migrate, deflate, or form a capsule around them, which can lead to hardening and pain of the breast. However, when anatomic (tear drop) shaped implants turn in the pocket it will distort the breast to some extent. One pair of shoelaces is adequate for the duration of treatment. For the typical plastic surgery patient, knowing whether or not you have a double bubble following breast augmentation isn't hard. The most significant concern with breast implant removal is the potential for an unsatisfactory aesthetic outcome. Patients can also have the breast crease modified: a small incision is made in the crease, and then tightened and raised with suturing along the bottom of the breast. What is double-bubble deformity and how it is treated? Reconstructing the breast crease to resist downward movement of the implant. Double bubble deformity can also be identified when either the implant or breast tissue has created the appearance of a second bulge beneath the breast. There are a number of factors that can cause breast implants to bottom out, including: - The implant is too large for its pocket. The first type of double bubble deformity is often associated with capsular contracture and may become painful. Pregnancy, weight gain, and weight loss can all contribute to the development of this type of double bubble.
This is dependent on the amount of scar tissue that develops, which is different for each individual. When double bubble correction becomes necessary, it is essential that you select a plastic surgeon that will take the time needed with you to accurately assess your situation and develop an appropriate revision surgery for you. Asymmetry of the breasts. About complex secondary breast revision.
An internal bra breast lift can add support for augmented breasts and help reduce the risk of implants bottoming out. Handel will exercise his best judgement in his years of clinical experience to design an approach that is custom tailored to meet each particular patient's needs. This can be attained by fat transfer (lipofilling) or lining the pocket with acellular dermal matrix. There are 2 reasons for this.
I've never heard anything so absurd. Being able to feel the implant is quite common, particularly in the lower and outer aspect of the breast. The capsule around the implant can become thickened and contracted. In (unlikely) case of implant rupture the manufacturer should cover the implant replacement costs. Dr. Benjamin Schlechter is a board-certified plastic surgeon with a reputation for excellent breast augmentation and breast revision results.
Ruptured implants may be removed and replaced with new devices of your choice. In my practice, I have developed a nonsurgical therapy using shoelaces, which, when tied and placed in a certain fashion, can correct this deformity. More realistically however, this unfortunate breast implant deformity appears as a drooping or sagging volume of natural breast tissue that is visible below the breast implant. Can implants be removed? But if your breasts have changed over the years, an unforeseen complication has impacted their appearance, or you were never happy with the results of your first procedure, you do have options.