Breast Implant Revision

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in breast implant revision with size reduction. I got large breast implants when I was younger but now they are too big and give me back and shoulder pain. I wanted them replaced with smaller implants. I want smaller and more perky breasts now!

A: Thank you for sending your pictures. There is never a problem with downsizing your implants. The question is what happens to the enlarged skin sleeve… as it will just drop and sag. In the spirit of what you really are trying to accomplish (smaller breasts with less pull on your back/neck) you would have to have a breast lift with smaller implants to really get that effect. Smaller implants alone will not be enough. You must get the enlarged breast tissue and skin back up on the chest wall. This is really no different than a true breast reduction patient. Just that in the augmented patient, the breast ‘reduction’ comes from either downsizing or removing the indwelling implants.

It is easy to make a breast larger with implants but it is not so simple to get a well shaped smaller breast by just downsizing or removing the implants.

Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana