Tulsa Surgical Arts

7322 E 91st St, Tulsa, OK 74133 · 918-392-7900 · tulsasurgicalarts.com

Oklahoma Surgical Arts · 12400 Saint Andrew’s Dr, Oklahoma City, OK 73120 · 405-751-0042

Breast Implant Revision

Plain-language patient guide

What this surgery is

Revision surgery fixes a problem with breast implants placed in the past. Common reasons are a hard scar shell, a leak, a shift in position, or a change of heart about size. Options include swapping implants, removing scar tissue, or removing implants for good.

Removing implants without replacing them is always a fair choice. Some women also add a lift at the same time.

What happens during it

You get anesthesia (medicine that makes you sleep).
The surgeon usually works through your old scar when possible.
The old implant comes out. Hard scar tissue around it may be removed too (this is called a capsulectomy).
If you chose new implants, the pocket is adjusted and the new implants go in.
If not, the pocket is closed. A lift can be added if the skin is loose.
The cuts are closed in layers. Small drains are sometimes used for a few days.

Main risks

Every surgery has risks. Here are the main ones for this surgery, in plain words. We will go over all of them with you in person.

The same risks as first-time implant surgery, and scar tissue can come back.
Changed nipple feeling.
The breast shape after removal depends on your skin and tissue. It may look deflated at first.
More surgery may still be needed later.
Bleeding. Some bleeding can need another trip to the operating room.
Infection. Signs are spreading redness, warmth, pus, or fever.
Scars. Every cut leaves a scar. Most fade over a year. Some stay raised or wide.
Numb skin near the cuts. Feeling usually returns over months. Small areas can stay numb.
Blood clots in the legs. A clot can travel to the lungs. That is an emergency.
Problems from anesthesia (the medicine that makes you sleep). These are rare in healthy people.
Uneven results. The two sides of the body are never a perfect match.
The need for another surgery to fix a problem or improve the result.

What recovery is like

First few days: Soreness like your first surgery, often a bit easier. Walk the same day.
One week: Drains, if used, usually come out. Desk work is fine for most.
Two weeks: Swelling keeps fading. Light exercise below the waist.
Six weeks: Full exercise. The shape keeps settling for months.

When to call us right away

In any emergency, call 911 first.

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department now — do not drive yourself, do not wait:

Chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, or trouble breathing.
Fainting, sudden confusion, or weakness on one side of the body.
You have chest pain or trouble breathing.
One leg swells, or one calf hurts more than the other.
Blood soaks a bandage and does not slow down with gentle pressure.

Otherwise call us at 918-392-7900, day or night, if:

One breast becomes much more swollen, tight, or painful than the other.
You have a fever of 101.5°F (38.6°C) or higher.
Redness spreads out from a cut, or you see pus.
Your pain gets much worse instead of better.
A wound pulls open, or stitches come apart.

Reviewed and approved by Austin Kluis, MD — 2026-08-23.