Posted on May 11, 2018
I was just asked on another site to answer this question. A woman was removing her implants and had them placed originally through the areola. She now wants the implants removed, and wants to know, does she need to make a new scar?
As with all things plastic surgical, there is no straight forward answer.
General advice:
- If we can avoid a new scar on you, we do.
- If your original scar was in the fold (the inframammary IMF fold), we tend to use it like an open door.
- If you have an axilla (armpit) scar, we frequently need to change your scar. Why?
- It is hard to revise breast implants, do capsulectomies for capsular contracture, and do breast implant pocket adjustments through there.
- It is hard to place silicone gel implants through there, particularly when higher profile.
- Biofilm (and therefore capsular contracture rates) is higher in the armpit.
- If you have an areola scar, we may change the scar. Why?
- Biofilm (and therefore capsular contractures rates) are higher than in the IMF scar.
- If you remove the implant, sometimes the scar will indent, even when the deep tissue is lined up perfectly because there is no longer an implant as a platform “pushing” out the scar.