Breast Implant Revision in Denver
Exchange, repair, or remove your implants with Dr. Aline Rau
What is breast implant revision?
Breast implant revision is surgery to exchange, adjust, repair, or remove existing breast implants. Depending on what's changed since your first surgery, Dr. Aline Rau may swap the implants for a different size or type, release or remove tightened scar tissue, repair the pocket the implant sits in, add a lift, or take the implants out and reshape the breast without them.
At Amavi Aesthetic Surgery in Denver, Colorado, we see women whose implants have been in for many years and no longer look or feel the way they did, women whose bodies have changed with pregnancy, weight loss, or time, and women who simply want something different now.
Dr. Aline Rau, our lead board-certified plastic surgeon with aesthetic fellowship training, specializing in breast plastic surgery.
Together, we'll decide what your revision should include, and you'll leave knowing exactly what to expect.
Considering implants for the first time? Learn about breast augmentation first. Curious about a no-implant option? Fat transfer breast augmentation may be the best place to start. Already have implants and want them changed, fixed, or out? Keep reading.
What happens during breast implant revision surgery?
Breast implant revision is an outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia, so you go home the same day. Dr. Aline Rau usually works through your original incision, so a straightforward exchange adds no new scars.
During your consultation, Dr. Aline Rau examines your breasts, reviews your implant card and any imaging, and walks through what's changed since your original procedure and what you want now. If you don't have records from your original procedure, that's fine. She can tell a great deal from the exam and imaging.
In surgery, she may remove or replace the implants, remove part or all of the scar tissue capsule around them (a capsulectomy), repair or reshape the pocket so the implant sits correctly, lift and reshape the breast tissue, or add a thin layer of your own fat to create smooth edges around the implant.
Implants can also be repositioned to ensure they sit correctly on the chest and look natural.
Revision is often more involved than a first augmentation because there's scar tissue to work around and more decisions to make, which is why Dr. Aline Rau plans each one around your anatomy and what you want now. You'll go home in a soft, supportive surgical bra with written post-op instructions, and we'll see you at your first post-op appointment.
Had a breast reduction or lift and want it refined? Dr. Aline Rau revises those too. Start with breast reduction or breast lift.
What are the most common reasons for breast implant revision?
The most common reasons are capsular contracture, an implant that has shifted, a rupture, a size or style that no longer fits your life, and wanting the implants out. Some are medical, and some are matters of preference; both are good reasons. Here are the ones we see most, and what Dr. Aline Rau does about each:
Capsular contracture
Scar tissue naturally forms around every implant. When that capsule tightens and hardens, the breast can feel firm, look rounder or higher than the other side, or ache. Dr. Aline Rau releases or removes the capsule and replaces or removes the implant in the same surgery.
Shifting, dropping, or bottoming out
The implant has drifted out of position (malposition): down below the breast fold, out toward the armpit, or in toward the center so the two implants nearly meet (symmastia). Fixed by repairing and tightening the pocket with internal sutures, sometimes with a supportive mesh, so the implant sits where it should.
Rupture or deflation
If one or both of your implants leaks or deflates, Dr. Aline Rau removes it and replaces it with a new one.
Rippling or visible edges
Folds or edges of the implant showing through thin tissue. Dr. Aline Rau can switch the implant type, move it under the muscle, or add a layer of your own fat over the edge.
Implants that move when you flex
The implant moves or distorts when you flex your chest (animation deformity), which can happen with implants placed under the muscle. Fixed by changing the pocket the implant sits in, sometimes with internal support so it stays put.
A different size or shape
The size that felt right at 25 can feel like too much at 45, or not enough. Going smaller, going larger, or correcting asymmetry is one of the most common revisions we do.
Changes after pregnancy, weight loss, or time
The implant is fine, but the breast around it has stretched or dropped. This usually means a lift, with or without a new implant.
You no longer want implants
Whether it's comfort, lifestyle, or preference, removal without replacement is a complete plan of its own. Dr. Aline Rau plans the removal so the breast has a natural shape afterward, with a lift or fat transfer if that helps.
You don’t need to know which of these you have. Describe what you’ve noticed, when it started, and what you’d like to be different, and Dr. Aline Rau will take it from there. Want the longer read first? See our full breast revision guide.
Can I have my breast implants removed and not replaced?
Yes. Removal without replacement, sometimes called explant surgery, is something Dr. Aline Rau does regularly and plans around the shape you want afterward. Whatever your reason, it's reason enough.
What your breasts look like afterward depends on how much natural tissue you have and how much the skin has stretched.
Dr. Aline Rau plans this with you at your consultation. The most common options:
Removal alone: Through the original incision. Best when you have good natural volume and tight skin.
Explant with capsulectomy: Dr. Aline Rau removes the implant and the layer of scar tissue that formed around it.
Removal with a lift: Reshapes your own tissue so it sits higher and fuller without an implant.
Removal with fat transfer: A layer of your own fat (or alloClae) restores softness and natural volume.
Recovery is usually one to two weeks for removal alone, two to four weeks with a lift or fat transfer.
How long does breast implant revision recovery take?
It depends on which breast revision. After an implant exchange, most women are back to desk work in about a week; after removal alone, one to two weeks; after a lift or fat transfer, two to four weeks. You should avoid heavy lifting for four to six weeks, and the final shape settles over three to six months. You'll wear a surgical bra with no underwire for six weeks.
Here's what you can expect:
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Days 1 to 3: Rest, support bra on
Home the same day in a soft support bra; we see you the next day. Tightness and soreness more than sharp pain. Sleep propped on your back and take short walks around the house.
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Days 4 to 7: Light activity
Most women are off prescription pain medication within a few days. Showering, cooking, and short outings are fine. No lifting, pushing, pulling, or reaching overhead yet.
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Weeks 1 to 4: Desk work and driving
Back at a desk job in about a week after an exchange, one to two weeks after removal, two to four weeks after a lift or fat transfer. Driving once you're off prescription pain medication.
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Weeks 2 to 4: Walking and lower body
Walking for exercise and gentle lower-body workouts return once you're past your own desk-work window. Still no chest, shoulder, or heavy upper-body work. Bruising is mostly gone.
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Weeks 4 to 6: Cleared for exercise
Dr. Aline Rau clears most patients for full workouts around six weeks. The support bra comes off and underwire is allowed again.
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Months 3 to 6: Final shape
New implants settle into position, swelling finishes going down, and the breasts soften. This is when the result looks the way you pictured.
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Ongoing: Continued support
Follow-ups at 1 day, 1 week, 1, 3, 6 months, and 1 year, with 24/7 aftercare access in between and written post-op instructions you'll go over with us before you leave. Scars keep fading for 6 to 12 months.
At Amavi, we support your recovery with nutritional supplementation to support healing, customized postoperative supplies, and unlimited visits while you heal. Dr. Aline Rau enrolls each surgical patient in the CosmetAssure program, which provides coverage in the unlikely event of a complication, so you can feel at peace.
Want the full breakdown? Read our guide to what to expect during recovery from cosmetic surgery.
What will my breast implant revision scars look like?
For an exchange, capsule work, or removal, Dr. Aline Rau works through your existing scar, usually in the fold under the breast. If a lift is part of your plan, the incisions will follow a breast-lift pattern.
Fat transfer adds a few tiny incisions at the donor site, each a few millimeters long.
Scars look pink and slightly raised for the first few months, then flatten and fade over six to twelve months. Our team will guide you on scar care during your follow-up visits, so your scars heal as thin and light as possible.
Am I a good candidate for breast implant revision?
Most healthy women with breast implants who have a concern they can point to, whether it's firmness, a shift, a rupture on imaging, a size they've outgrown, or wanting the implants out, are candidates for revision. You don't have to wait for a problem to get worse, and you don't have to have one at all if what you want is a change. Dr. Aline Rau will give you an honest answer at your consultation.
Ideal candidates are women who are experiencing issues such as implant rupture, capsular contracture, implant displacement, rippling, or simply a desire for a different size or type of implant.
Candidates should be in good general health, be non-smokers, and have realistic expectations about the procedure's outcomes.
Revision may be right for you if
- One or both breasts have become firm, tight, or higher than they used to be
- An implant has dropped, moved outward, or shifted toward the center
- An implant has leaked or deflated
- You can see or feel rippling at the edge of the implant
- Your breasts have changed with pregnancy, weight loss, or time and the implant no longer fits them
- You want a different size or profile, or you want the implants out
- You're a non-smoker in good health with a stable weight
Wait on surgery if
- You're pregnant, breastfeeding, or within about six months of either
- You're actively losing weight, including while a GLP-1 dose is being adjusted
- Your first surgery was less than six to twelve months ago and the implants are still settling
- You're still deciding what you want; a consultation is a fine place to work that out first
How much does breast implant revision cost in Denver?
Every revision at Amavi is planned around you, and so is the cost. What you pay depends on what your surgery involves: an exchange, capsule, or pocket work; a lift; fat transfer or removal; and whether new implants are part of the plan.
You'll leave your consultation with a personalized quote, and we partner with PatientFi for monthly payment plans.
Why choose a female plastic surgeon for your breast implant revision in Denver?
Many women in Denver seek out Dr. Aline Rau, our lead board-certified plastic surgeon, for revision surgery because of the advantages of a woman-to-woman approach. Our women-owned practice is a private, discreet space where you can say exactly what you'd like to be different, and, as a female-led practice, we closely guide you throughout your entire journey, from your first consultation to your final post-op visit.
Many women tell us the conversation about what's changed and what they want now comes more easily with a woman across the table.
Your Questions About Breast Implant Revision, Answered
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It depends on the revision. After an implant exchange, most women are back to desk work in about a week; after removal alone, one to two weeks; after a lift or fat transfer, two to four weeks. Everyone avoids heavy lifting for four to six weeks.
You wear a surgical bra without underwire for 6 weeks; the final shape settles over 3 to 6 months, and scars continue to fade for 6 to 12 months.
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For an exchange, many women say yes because the implant pocket already exists and the original incision is reused; most are back to desk work in about a week. Adding a lift, fat transfer, pocket repair, or capsule removal makes recovery closer to the original experience.
Dr. Aline Rau will tell you what to expect once she knows your plan.
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No. There is no automatic expiration date, and many implants last well beyond ten years.
Revision is for a problem you can point to or a change you want.
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Usually, a breast that feels firmer than it used to, looks rounder or sits higher than the other side, or aches when you lie on it.
If you've noticed any of these, you should start with a consultation and exam with Dr. Aline Rau.
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Yes to all three. Because your tissue has already accommodated an implant, Dr. Aline Rau maps out how each choice will affect your shape, including what removal without replacement looks like, before you decide anything. Going smaller or removing the implants may call for a lift so the breast doesn't look deflated; she'll tell you if that applies to you.
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Yes. Switching from saline to silicone, or from one silicone gel to another, is a common reason for an exchange. If you're changing size or type, Dr. Aline Rau may also adjust the pocket so the new implant sits correctly.
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Only if the breast has stretched or dropped around the implant. Dr. Aline Rau looks at how loose the skin is and where the nipple sits. Tight skin means an exchange is enough; a nipple below the fold means a lift. Read more about breast lifts.
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It depends on what your revision involves and whether new implants are part of the plan. Amavi is a self-pay practice and doesn't bill insurance. You'll leave your consultation with a personalized quote, and financing is available through PatientFi.
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Ready to decide again, with better information this time?
Book a consultation with Dr. Aline Rau, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Denver, and explore your personalized breast implant revision options. Not sure what to expect at a first visit? Read our guide to the plastic surgery consultation.
Call us at (303) 381-0919 or complete the form below.
Serving Denver and the Rocky Mountain region: Amavi Aesthetic Surgery is in Greenwood Village and sees women from Denver, Cherry Creek, Cherry Hills Village, Highlands Ranch, and Castle Rock, as well as Colorado Springs, Boulder, and across Colorado for breast implant revision.