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Breast Implant Revision
If textured implants adhere better, is there less chance of folding if you only deflate without removal?
Texture doesn't prevent folding, and a deflated implant should come out rather than stay in. Textured surfaces were designed to encourage tissue adherence and reduce rotation with certain shaped implants, but that adherence has nothing to do with fold-flaw failures, which are a function of shell mechanics and implant fill, not surface texture. It's also worth knowing that textured implants have largely disappeared from U.S. practice since the 2019 recall of Allergan Biocell textured devices, which were linked to a rare lymphoma called BIA-ALCL. Smooth implants are now the overwhelming standard.
Once a saline implant deflates, the shell has failed, and leaving it in doesn't protect against folding or capsule issues; it just leaves a collapsed, potentially irritating implant in the pocket. Removal, usually through the original incision, is straightforward and considerably less expensive than a full augmentation. A board-certified plastic surgeon can examine you and advise whether replacement makes sense at the same time.
Clinical Context
Textured implants encourage scar tissue to grow into the shell surface over time, forming a capsule that keeps its shape even if the implant later deflates. That's why a deflated saline implant doesn't always cause obvious distortion right away — the capsule can maintain contour temporarily. Still, once the shell fails, the implant itself is no longer functional, and most patients notice volume loss within days to weeks as saline is absorbed by the body.
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