Question: My saline implants deflated three months ago. How easy is it to have them replaced?
Answer:
If your saline implants truly just deflated, it may be possible to remove and replace them in the office. However, it may not be ideal if they deflated more than a few weeks ago. You will need surgery in the OR to remove and replace them. Why? Your body naturally shrinks around a deflated implant, therefore, the pocket won’t be large enough to replace your implant.
But wait – there’s more!
Although saline implants have a valve that in time, tends to malfunction causing the implant to deflate – your deflation may be caused by a capsular contracture.
What difference does this make? A lot! A capsular contracture happens when the implant irritates your tissues – irritation starts a process of scar thickening and shrinking, making your implant pocket smaller. This shrinkage puts pressure on the implant and can force the valve open so your implant deflates. This shrinkage continues – so if you have a capsular contracture, your new saline implant will be too large for the shrunken pocket.
If during an exchange of saline implants in the office, your surgeon finds a capsule around your deflated implants, you have a choice –
• Remove the old implant and stop – scheduling an operating room capsulectomy and pocket revision with new implants or
• Put in new implants and partially inflate them – scheduling an operating room capsulectomy and pocket revision with the same implants, if possible.
Some women don’t have the time or money to go through this – if you are in this position and your implants deflate, it is wiser to have the implants removed completely. Later you can have new implants, pocket revision and capsulectomy, when time and money allow.