What Is The Best Way To Get Rid Of The Rippling On My Saline Breast Implants?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had saline implants placed under the muscle 12 years ago. There were fine until about three years ago when I noticed rippling on the undersides. I am a thin woman being 5’7” tall and weighing 126 lbs. Why has this rippling appeared now years after surgery? Will it get better or is it permanent? Will it get worse? What is the best way to get rid of it?I am very unhappy with the shape, size and asymmetry, along with the rippling, so am leaning towards having them redone anyway.

A: Rippling is common feature of saline breast implants and every women will develop some degree of it unless they had a fair amount of breast tissue initially. It will be felt along the bottom and sides of the implants where there is not a muscular interface underneath between the implant and the skin. While perhaps not noticeable early after surgery, it may appear months to years later as the swelling goes away and the breast tissue thins over time. This rippling issue is particularly relevant in thin women with little breast tissue. This is an important consideration to know before breast augmentation surgery so this is not a surprise when it appears later. The best correction of the rippling problem is an exchange to silicone implants where the amount of rippling is considerably reduced due to the thicker and more congealed silicone gel material. This is one of the advantages of the newer gummy bear breast implants.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana