Implant Replacement

About the procedure

Your plastic surgeon will carefully evaluate which type of surgery is optimal for your specific implant replacement. The art lies in finding a balance between your wishes and what is technically feasible based on your circumstances.

Choosing the right technique and implant based on your proportions, measurements, and anatomical conditions are very important factors in this assessment. This creates the right foundation for an optimal aesthetic result with fewer complications during secondary surgery.

Every patient is unique, with unique conditions. Our task is to create a plan and guide you as a patient through the entire process. We have thousands of different implants to choose from. Our goal is always to find the perfect implant just for you.

Before and on the day of surgery, everything follows carefully planned routines regarding medical preparation, including ECG, blood sampling, and the “Inbody test,” which measures your biological conditions, as well as cleaning with a Descutan sponge. All of this is included in the price for an implant replacement.

On the day of surgery, a protocol is meticulously followed to minimize surgery time, nausea, and the effects of medication. Our anesthesiologists from Thoracic at Karolinska Hospital use their cutting-edge expertise to ensure optimal anesthesia. A skillfully performed operation is conducted with minimal bleeding and in controlled, sterile conditions according to a predetermined plan with the size and shape of the implant decided upon by the patient and surgeon prior to surgery. If necessary, drains may occasionally be placed during secondary surgery.

At Victoriakliniken, you typically stay overnight, as our over 25 years of experience have shown us that the peace of mind our patients feel when they go home after a safe and restful night’s sleep with us is invaluable. This service, combined with our comprehensive warranties and 10-year follow-up with ultrasound, provides you with a unique security package that no other clinic offers.

Implants

Victoriakliniken has carefully evaluated and chosen to work with implants from three different manufacturers. We use implants with three different surfaces: smooth, micro-textured, and polyurethane. Implants come in various shapes, such as anatomical (teardrop-shaped) or round. Primarily, we work with two implants from Motiva.

Ergonomix 2 is a round implant from the manufacturer Motiva®. These implants are the most biocompatible implants on the market, featuring a nano-smooth surface. This means that the risk of capsule contraction (hard breasts) is nearly non-existent (see study), which is why we do not need to use antibiotics during or after the surgery. In addition to this, they offer a softness and elasticity that no other implant has, allowing them to be implanted through very small incisions, ranging from 2.5 cm up to 380 cc.

Anatomical CPG and round implants from Mentor with a micro-textured surface are the other implants used. These are more shape-stable implants and can therefore create a more controlled stable shape as their texturing interacts with the surrounding tissue.

The implants we use all come with a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer, meaning they will be replaced at no cost if they, for example, break.

Technique

Before the surgery

When you book your surgery with us, you will receive a detailed description of how to best prepare for your procedure in terms of diet, hydration, medication, exercise, blood tests, ECG, and Inbody measurements. We take a holistic approach to your health, and these preparations are intended to optimize your surgery. Naturally, all of this is included in the price of your procedure. This way, we can also ensure a safer and faster recovery after your surgery.

During the surgery

After the surgery

We recommend that you refrain from any exercise during the first six weeks after your surgery. However, walking is fine immediately after the procedure. After six weeks, you can start exercising again, but you should avoid activities that engage the chest muscles for three months if the implants are placed under the muscle. Additionally, “bouncing” activities such as jogging and horseback riding should be avoided.

Results

The final result will not be visible immediately. You will experience swelling during the first 72 hours, The implants have not “settled” yet, and the breast won’t be fully rounded. After six weeks, your sutures will begin to absorb, and the implants will settle. Between three to six months post-surgery, the final shape will become visible, and after two years, when the scar tissue has softened, the breasts will have achieved their final form.

Complications

The following information, based on the FDA, should be considered before undergoing breast augmentation, reconstruction, or surgery following a previous breast surgery.

• Breast augmentation with implants is not guaranteed to last a lifetime. Therefore, you may require multiple surgeries due to the need for implant replacement or complications.
• The longer you have breast implants, the more likely you are to experience local complications, which may be cosmetically undesirable.
• The most common complications and negative outcomes are capsule contracture. Other complications may include rupture, rippling, asymmetry, scarring, pain, and infection at the incision site.
• There are different shapes, textures, and styles of breast implants. Discuss your expectations as well as the benefits and risks of various types of implants with your surgeon.
• If you remove the implants and do not replace them, you may experience changes in your natural breasts, such as looser skin, loss of breast tissue, or other undesirable cosmetic changes.
• As long as you have breast implants, you should undergo regular check-ups. For patients with silicone gel-filled implants, your doctor may recommend regular ultrasound exams to check for ruptures and other complications. At Victoriakliniken, 10 years of follow-up are included. After that, you have the option to purchase an additional 5–10 years.
• If you notice any unusual changes in your breasts or implants, you should contact your doctor immediately.
• There is a risk of developing a type of cancer called “breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL)” in the breast or the scar tissue (capsule) surrounding the implants. BIA-ALCL is not breast cancer. Treatment for BIA-ALCL involves the removal of the implant and the capsule surrounding the implant, and some patients may require chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
• Although it can be treated, there is a risk of death for patients diagnosed with BIA-ALCL.
• Some patients with breast implants report a range of systemic symptoms, such as chronic fatigue, brain fog, and joint and muscle pain, which may not meet the diagnostic criteria to be classified as a disease. Patients commonly refer to these symptoms as “breast implant illness (BII).” In some cases, patients report that the removal of breast implants without replacement seems to reverse their symptoms.

Loss of sensation and chronic pain

All breast surgeries can result in the breast and/or nipple becoming either overly sensitive or lacking in sensitivity. This change can vary in degree and may be temporary or permanent. It can affect sensation during breastfeeding and/or sexual response.

During the healing process, you may experience numbness or hypersensitivity, sometimes both. This usually disappears over time. It is important to remember that it can take several years for full sensation to return after breast augmentation.

Extreme discomfort and pain from implants are also very rare. Based on our experience, this typically occurs with larger implants, mostly on the outside of the breasts, likely due to pressure or stress on the sensory nerves.

Sweden’s most comprehensive safety guarantee

Victoriakliniken is a world-leading authority in breast surgery. Being a global leader in a field means taking full responsibility for one’s surgery and outcomes, not just in the short term but, above all, in the long term.

When you undergo breast surgery with us, it always includes:

• 10 years of free follow-up of your implants with ultrasound.
• 5-year warranty against complications at no additional cost.
• At least one overnight stay
• Access to emergency services 24/7.
• Free return visits
• Medications
• Ability to contact your surgeon directly after returning home.
• Compression bra
• ECG, blood testing, and Inbody health screening

Our warranty program means that we always follow up on your treatment and ensure the quality of our results for at least 10 years.

Before and After Photos

29 years old, 177 cm, 62 kg, 560 cc

50 years old, 168 cm, 62 kg, 360 cc

Quick facts about the procedure

Surgery time: 1-2 hours

Surgery: Performed under anesthesia or local anesthesia.

Time at the clinic: You arrive on your surgery day at 7:00 AM and go home the next morning at 8:30 AM.

Sick leave: 2-3 weeks

Price

We have chosen not to have a fixed price list, as each patient is unique with individual needs. In most cases, it’s only during the consultation that we can determine, together with you, which procedure(s) will be best to achieve a beautiful final result. With us, in addition to the surgery cost, anesthesia, medications, follow-up visits, compression garments, and bras are included, as well as, in most cases, at least one overnight stay after the surgery.

In general, all prices are shown inclusive of VAT, as all procedures and treatments except those performed for medical reasons have been subject to VAT since the beginning of 2014. In cases where the price is shown exclusive of VAT, this is because these procedures are always performed on medical grounds. (Price below includes VAT)