Implant Issues Beverly Hills

Implant Issues can refer to a variety of problems, some of which are mentioned below.


Ruptured implants can be easy or more difficult to detect, depending on the type of implants. With saline implants, a noticeable deflation that occurs over the course of approximately 24-hours. Ruptured silicone implants often take longer to diagnose, and may require imaging to be certain. All individuals with implants should be checked annually by a board-certified plastic surgeon to ensure any potential complications that could arise with implants are promptly identified and appropriately addressed.

Rippling/Palpable Implants

Rippling refers to wrinkling on the surface of the implant that can be seen or felt through the skin. Rippling is typically most noticeable on the bottom or sides of an implant, but may also occur in the middle, near the cleavage.

There can be any number of reasons an implant would ripple. Among these are: implant placement above the muscle, inadequate breast tissue covering the implant, or under-inflation of saline implants. Depending on the reason for the rippling, the correction may involve placing the implant under the muscle, using fat grafting or ADM to create more padding between the implant and the skin, and/or exchanging implants from saline to silicone.

Animation Deformity

Unlike rippling, which typically occurs with implants placed above the muscle, animation deformity, also known as muscle flexion distortion, can occur with implants placed under the muscle. The name refers to implants that appear fine most of the time but are extremely visible to the point of distorting the breast when the chest is flexed. It is a result of the pectoral muscle adhering to the implant. While some degree of implant movement will be seen during pectoral flexion with implants placed under the muscle, severe animation deformity requires revision breast surgery to correct by releasing the adherent muscle.

Capsular Contracture

Capsular Contracture is the formation of a thick, tight scar capsule around the implant.

Our Location

Jaime S. Schwartz, MD, FACS

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

