logo

Call Us

+65‎ 6778‎ 8648
contact us

Revision Breast Augmentation Surgery in Singapore

Revision breast augmentation is a surgical procedure for patients who have previously undergone breast augmentation and wish to address concerns that have arisen since. These concerns may be clinical in nature, such as complications that have developed over time, or may relate to changes in the patient’s circumstances or expectations.

doctor img
Dr Terence Goh

MBBS

MMed

MRCS

FAMS

Image close up of a nude woman touching her chest 2026 03 10 04 55 42 utc (1) Image close up of a nude woman touching her chest 2026 03 10 04 55 42 utc (1)

What is Revision Breast Augmentation Surgery?

Revision breast augmentation is a secondary surgical procedure to address concerns that arise after an initial breast augmentation. Aesthetic concerns may include dissatisfaction with size or shape. Functional concerns may involve complications such as capsular contracture or implant rupture.

The goal is to address both the appearance and comfort of your breasts, acknowledging that your body has changed since your first surgery and that your needs may have evolved.

How Does Revision Breast Augmentation Surgery Work?

Revision breast augmentation differs from primary breast augmentation because it addresses tissue that has already been surgically altered. Your plastic surgeon must work with existing scar tissue, assess how your body responded to the original implants, and determine the approach that may achieve your goals while respecting your tissue’s current condition. The procedure may involve one or more of the following:

  • Implant removal

    The existing implant is removed — either temporarily or permanently, depending on the clinical indication. This may be necessary if there’s a rupture or if you’re downsizing or removing implants entirely.

  • Implant exchange

    Your current implants are replaced with new ones. This could mean a different size, shape, or type of implant.

  • Capsulectomy

    The capsule (scar tissue that naturally forms around any implant) is removed. When this capsule becomes thick or tight, it can cause discomfort and distort breast shape. Removing it allows for a fresh start.

  • Pocket adjustment

    The space where the implant sits is modified. If your implant has shifted position or if you’re changing implant types, the pocket may need to be tightened, expanded, or repositioned.

  • Soft tissue repositioning

    Changes in your natural breast tissue are addressed. Over time, factors like gravity, weight fluctuations, and skin elasticity can alter how your breast tissue drapes over the implant. In some cases, a breast lift may be performed alongside revision to reposition the nipple-areolar complex and reshape the breast envelope, particularly where ptosis has developed since the original augmentation.

Each technique serves a specific purpose. The combination used depends on your unique situation. Unlike primary breast augmentation, in which the surgeon works with untouched tissue, revision surgery requires careful assessment of tissue integrity and scar formation from the prior procedure.

Who Should Consider Revision Breast Augmentation Surgery?

You might be a candidate for revision surgery if you’re experiencing physical symptoms or if you’re unhappy with how your breasts look after your initial augmentation. Both are valid reasons to seek evaluation.

  • Clinical Indicators for Revision Surgery
    • Capsular contracture is one of the common reasons patients seek revision. You might notice that one or both breasts feel unusually firm or hard. The breast may look distorted or sit higher than it should. Some patients describe a squeezing sensation or discomfort.
    • Implant rupture can occur with both saline and silicone implants. With saline, a rupture is usually obvious because the breast deflates as the saline is absorbed by the body. Silicone ruptures are often ‘silent.’ Routine periodic imaging surveillance is therefore recommended for patients with silicone implants, even in the absence of symptoms.
    • Implant malposition refers to implants that have shifted from their original placement. Your implant may have moved too far to the side, dropped too low, or migrated upward. This creates asymmetry or an unnatural appearance.
    • Rippling or wrinkling becomes visible when the edges of the implant show through the skin. This is more common in patients with thinner breast tissue or certain implant types.
    • Asymmetry may have been present before your first surgery or may have developed afterwards. Revision can address differences in size, shape, or position between your breasts.
    • Size or shape dissatisfaction is a concern. Your preferences may have changed, or the results may not have matched your expectations.
  • Timing Considerations for Revision

    Many surgeons recommend waiting at least three to six months after primary augmentation before considering revision. This allows swelling to resolve and tissues to settle into their final position.

    If you’re experiencing symptoms like significant pain, visible implant rupture, or severe asymmetry, earlier intervention may be appropriate. The decision depends on your specific situation and requires evaluation by a plastic surgeon.

Not Happy With Your Current Results?

Speak with a plastic surgeon to understand your options and whether revision may be appropriate for you.

Book Consultation
Ready for Natural Looking Results - Breast

What Happens During the Pre-Surgical Evaluation?

The evaluation before revision surgery is more extensive than for primary augmentation. The surgeon needs to understand what was done during your first surgery, how your body responded, and what issues need to be addressed.

Imaging and Diagnostic Assessment
  • Physical examination is the first step. Your surgeon will assess your breast tissue, implant position, and any visible or palpable abnormalities. You’ll discuss your concerns and describe any symptoms you’re experiencing.
  • Imaging studies provide information that physical examination alone cannot reveal:
  • Ultrasound is often used as an initial screening tool to check implant integrity. It can detect fluid collections, ruptures, and some capsular changes.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered an accurate method for detecting silicone implant ruptures, including silent ruptures. It provides detailed images of both the implant and the surrounding tissue.

These imaging studies help identify issues that might not be obvious. For example, you might assume your asymmetry is purely cosmetic when imaging reveals an undetected rupture or capsular abnormality requiring attention.

Surgical Planning and Goal Setting

Once the surgeon has a complete picture of your current situation, you’ll work together to establish realistic goals. This conversation is essential because revision surgery has limitations that primary surgery does not.

The planning phase is important for establishing realistic goals and understanding how tissue characteristics from the previous surgery may influence the current procedure.

What Happens During Revision Breast Augmentation Surgery?

Revision surgery follows careful staging to address each component of your case methodically. Understanding what happens during the procedure can help reduce anxiety about the process.

Anaesthesia and Surgical Access

Revision breast augmentation is typically performed under general anaesthesia.

Incision placement requires thoughtful consideration in revision cases. Whenever possible, your plastic surgeon will use the incision from your previous surgery to avoid creating additional scars. If a different approach provides access to address your specific concerns, a new incision site may be recommended.

Common incision locations include:

  • The fold beneath the breast
  • Around the areola
  • In the armpit

The choice depends on what work needs to be done inside.

Capsular Management Techniques

The capsule is the layer of scar tissue your body naturally forms around any implanted device. In revision surgery, managing this capsule is often a central focus.

Capsulotomy involves releasing or scoring the capsule to create more space. This technique may be appropriate for mild capsular contracture, where the tissue can be preserved.

Capsulectomy is the complete removal of the capsule. This is typically recommended for:

  • Moderate to severe capsular contracture
  • Ruptured silicone implants where silicone has leaked into the surrounding tissue
  • Cases where the capsule has become calcified

Total capsulectomy removes the entire capsule as one piece, whilst partial capsulectomy removes only the affected portions. The surgeon will determine which approach is appropriate based on your imaging results and findings during surgery.

Implant Exchange and Pocket Modification

If you’re having your implants replaced, your surgeon will remove the old implants and insert the new ones after completing any necessary capsular work.

Pocket adjustment may be needed to accommodate different implant dimensions:

  • If your new implants are larger, the pocket may need to be expanded
  • If they’re smaller, the pocket may need to be tightened to prevent the implant from moving around

Pocket plane conversion is sometimes performed. For example, converting from subglandular to submuscular placement. This may be considered when additional soft tissue coverage is needed to reduce implant visibility or address rippling.

Throughout the procedure, your surgical team monitors your vital signs and maintains strict sterile protocols.

What is the Recovery Process After Revision Breast Augmentation?

Recovery from revision surgery often requires patience. Because your surgeon is working with tissue that has already undergone surgery, healing may take longer or follow a different trajectory than your first augmentation.

Immediate Post-Operative Period

The first few days after surgery are typically uncomfortable. You can expect swelling, bruising, and soreness around your breasts and chest. The surgeon will prescribe appropriate pain management to keep you comfortable.

Drains may be placed during surgery to prevent fluid accumulation. These are thin tubes that exit through small incisions and collect fluid into small bulbs. You’ll receive instructions on how to empty and measure the fluid. Drains are usually removed typically within the first week.

A compression garment or surgical bra provides support and helps reduce swelling. You’ll be instructed to wear this garment around the clock during the initial healing phase.

Activity restrictions are important to follow:

  • Avoid raising your arms above shoulder level
  • Avoid lifting anything heavy
  • Avoid engaging in strenuous activity

These restrictions protect your incisions and allow your implants to settle properly.

Intermediate Recovery Phase

During the intermediate recovery phase, you will gradually begin resuming normal activities. Patients can often return to desk work within one to two weeks, though this varies depending on the extent of their procedure.

Exercise restrictions typically continue for several weeks:

  • Light walking is encouraged early on, as it promotes circulation and healing
  • Activities that involve chest muscles, impact, or bouncing should wait until your surgeon clears you

Follow-up appointments allow your surgical team to monitor your healing. Your plastic surgeon will check your incisions, assess swelling, and ensure your implants are settling as expected.

Long-Term Healing and Tissue Maturation

Complete stabilisation of your results takes several months. Swelling continues to resolve gradually over this time, and your breast tissue adapts to its new position.

Assessment of your results typically occurs several months post-surgery, though some changes may continue beyond this point. Patience during this phase is important, as early concerns often resolve as healing progresses.

Ready to address your concerns?

Revision surgery provides individualised solutions for your specific concerns, supported by comprehensive post-operative care throughout your recovery.

Schedule Your Assessment
Ready for Natural Looking Results - Breast

How Does Revision Surgery Compare to Primary Breast Augmentation?

Revision surgery is not simply “repeating” your original procedure. It is a distinctly different undertaking that involves a greater degree of surgical complexity than primary augmentation.

Surgical Complexity Considerations

Primary breast augmentation works with tissue that has never been operated on. The anatomy is predictable, and the surgeon creates the implant pocket from scratch in healthy tissue.

Revision surgery deals with anatomy that has been altered:

  • Scar tissue changes how tissues behave
  • Previous pocket creation may have affected muscle attachments
  • Capsular formation may have distorted normal structures

Operative times are typically longer for revision procedures. The surgeon must carefully navigate scar tissue, remove or modify the capsule, and often reconstruct the pocket before placing the new implant.

Technical challenges vary depending on your specific situation. A straightforward size change in an otherwise healthy pocket is less complex than addressing severe capsular contracture with implant malposition.

The complexity of working with previously operated tissue means revision augmentation surgery draws on both aesthetic and reconstructive surgical principles.

Clinical Aims of Revision Breast Augmentation

Revision surgery aims to address the concerns that led you to seek evaluation. Outcomes vary based on your unique anatomy and healing response.

Aesthetic Correction Goals
  • Improved symmetry may be achievable through revision. Surgical adjustment of implant size, pocket dimensions, and soft-tissue positioning may contribute to a more balanced appearance, though outcomes depend on individual anatomy and healing response.
  • Natural contour is a goal that revision techniques may address, including concerns like visible implant edges or rippling, though outcomes depend on individual tissue characteristics. Techniques such as changing pocket planes, using different implant types, or adding tissue coverage can contribute to appearance.
  • Correction of malposition aims to reposition implants closer to their intended placement, subject to individual tissue and healing factors.
Functional and Comfort Improvements
  • Addressing capsular contracture symptoms is a goal for patients experiencing this complication. The tightness, discomfort, and distorted appearance caused by a thickened capsule may improve after capsulectomy and implant replacement.
  • Addressing implant integrity concerns follows revision for rupture. Where implant integrity is confirmed following revision, this may provide some reassurance, though ongoing surveillance remains recommended.
  • Physical comfort may improve if you’ve been experiencing discomfort related to implant size, position, or capsular issues. Some patients find that revision allows them to feel more comfortable during physical activity and daily life.

Safety and Risk Management in Revision Breast Augmentation in Singapore

Revision breast augmentation carries inherent surgical risks. Being informed of these supports a considered decision.

Surgical Risks Specific to Revision Procedures

  • Infection risk may be slightly elevated in revision cases due to scar tissue and longer operative times.
  • Bleeding and haematoma are potential complications managed through careful surgical technique and, where necessary, the use of drains.
  • Anaesthesia complications are uncommon with current techniques. Your anaesthesia team will review your medical history to minimise these risks.
  • Recurrent capsular contracture may develop in some patients even following capsulectomy and implant replacement.
  • Tissue thinning from previous surgery may limit what is achievable in revision, particularly where large implants were used.
  • Changes in nipple sensation may occur, especially following extensive capsulectomy, and may increase, decrease, or remain unchanged.
  • Aesthetic dissatisfaction remains possible even with technically successful surgery, as outcomes depend partly on individual healing.
  • Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a rare condition that has been associated with certain breast implants. This will be discussed during your consultation, including any implications for implant selection.

Risk Mitigation Through Care

Risk mitigation involves thorough pre-operative assessment, diligent post-operative monitoring, and strict adherence to safety protocols. However, as with all surgery, some risk cannot be fully eliminated, and this is discussed during your consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How long should I wait before considering revision surgery?

Waiting at least three to six months after primary augmentation to allow complete healing and settling is recommended. Certain complications, like rupture or severe symptoms, may warrant earlier evaluation.

Will revision surgery result in additional scarring?

Whenever possible, surgeons use existing incision sites to avoid new scars. If a different approach is necessary, your plastic surgeon will discuss placement options that minimise visible scarring.

Can I change my implant size during revision?

In many cases, implant size may be adjusted during revision surgery. Our surgeon will assess your tissue characteristics to determine what options are appropriate for your individual anatomy, as not all size changes may be suitable for every patient.

How long do revision results typically last?

Implants are not lifetime devices. While many last fifteen years or more, this varies by individual, and future revision may eventually be needed. Regular monitoring is recommended.

Can capsular contracture recur after revision surgery?

Yes, capsular contracture can develop again. Certain techniques and implant choices may reduce this risk, which our surgeon will discuss with you.

What if I want my implants removed entirely?

Removing implants is an option during revision. Our surgeon can discuss what your breasts may look like after implant removal and whether additional procedures might be considered.

How do I know if my implant has ruptured?

Changes in breast appearance or feel may indicate a rupture, though in some cases, there are no obvious symptoms. If rupture is suspected, imaging such as ultrasound or MRI may be recommended to assess implant integrity.

Long-Term Prognosis and Ongoing Care

Ongoing follow-up is an important part of post-operative care following revision breast augmentation surgery in Singapore. Patients are encouraged to attend scheduled appointments and to raise any concerns that arise over time, as breast health requires long-term monitoring.

Breast implants require ongoing surveillance. Periodic imaging may be recommended to assess implant integrity, particularly with silicone implants. Staying aware of changes in how your breasts look and feel helps identify issues early.

Take the next step.

Consultations with Dr Terence Goh are available to discuss your concerns and explore whether revision breast augmentation is appropriate for your situation.

Contact Us Today
Ready for Natural Looking Results - Breast
Dr. Terence Goh - AZATACA Plastic Surgery

Dr Terence Goh

Choosing to combine the intricate skills of microsurgery with aesthetic surgery, Dr Goh specialises in gynaecomastia, surgery of the Asian face, particularly Asian eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty.

Blending the precision of microsurgery with the artistry of aesthetic surgery, Dr Goh has a special interest in gynaecomastia, facial procedures, including ptosis and eyelid surgery, as well as rhinoplasty.

He also offers a full range of body contouring procedures such as mummy makeovers, breast augmentation, liposuction, and body sculpting—designed to help patients feel more confident and comfortable in their own skin.

Beyond aesthetics, Dr Goh remains active in reconstructive microsurgery, with expertise in breast reconstruction, head and neck reconstruction, and lower limb salvage—restoring both form and function where it’s needed most.

  • Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, National University of Singapore
  • Master of Medicine, National University of Singapore
  • Member of the Royal College of Surgeons
  • Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore (Plastic Surgery)
Read Full Bio

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Consult Dr Terence Goh to discuss whether it’s the right choice for your needs and to explore your treatment options.

    For faster enquiry, call us!+65‎ 6778‎ 8648



    Azataca-AZATACA Plastic Surgery (NOVENA)

    AZATACA Plastic Surgery (NOVENA)

    Royal Square Medical Centre
    101 Irrawaddy Rd, #14-09
    Singapore 329565
    Mon – Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm
    Sat 9:00am – 1:00pm
    Sun & PH Closed
    +65‎ 6778‎ 8648
    AZATACA Plastic Surgery GLENEAGLES

    AZATACA Plastic Surgery (GLENEAGLES)

    Gleneagles Medical Centre
    6 Napier Road #03-17
    Singapore 258499
    Mon – Fri 9:00am – 5:00pm
    Sat 9:00am – 1:00pm
    Sun & PH Closed
    +65‎ 6767‎ 1648