Breast Augmentation Revision · La Jolla
Breast Augmentation Revision in La Jolla
After breast augmentation, some patients develop firmness, implant rupture, movement of the implant, or a preference for a different size. Breast augmentation revision is the operation that addresses those concerns. During a La Jolla consultation, Tim Sayed MD examines the implants and the soft tissue around them, then talks through revision, removal without replacement, or continued monitoring. He sees patients whose implants were placed by other surgeons and patients he operated on previously. Your La Jolla visits use the University City office at 4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92121. That is where consultations and follow-ups happen. Surgery is performed only in accredited operating rooms separate from both consultation offices, not at the University City office.
Office
Planning your University City appointments
Use the University City office’s San Diego postal address below for every La Jolla consultation and return visit.
Monday: 9:00 AM–4:30 PM. Tuesday–Friday: 8:30 AM–4:30 PM. Saturday–Sunday: Closed. Hours are Pacific Time. When you schedule, confirm the exact appointment time. Monday opening here is 9:00 AM — thirty minutes later than the Newport Beach office. Pick the office you can keep returning to for follow-ups.
Consultation details for La Jolla · Compare the Newport Beach consultation office
Tim Sayed MD, La Jolla / University City
Address
4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92121
Phone
(858) 247-2933
Hours
Mon 9:00 AM–4:30 PM; Tue–Fri 8:30 AM–4:30 PM PT; Sat–Sun closed
Surgery
Accredited operating rooms only, separate from both consultation offices
Office selection
Follow-ups
Same office as consult
Monday open
9:00 AM PT
Tue–Fri open
8:30 AM PT
Weekend
Closed
Compare
Newport Beach office
Phone
(858) 247-2933
Consultation
What to bring to your La Jolla consultation
If you still have them, bring the implant identification card, prior operative reports, and any imaging reports. Write down when changes or symptoms started and what you hope to change. You do not have to decide on a replacement implant before you are examined.
What to ask
At the visit, ask which problem needs treatment, whether the implant pocket needs repair, and whether watching and waiting or removal without a new implant is reasonable. Go over proposed incision sites, any extra scars, and what help you will need while you recover. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, a large weight change, or nicotine use can change whether surgery is appropriate and when.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, significant weight change, or nicotine use may affect whether and when surgery is appropriate.
What revision may involve
When the skin and pocket already support the implant well, exchanging the implant can be enough. If the pocket has stretched, internal sutures (capsulorrhaphy) or moving the implant above or below the chest muscle may be part of the plan. Capsular contracture — scar tissue tightening around an implant — can call for releasing or removing that capsule. Contracture and implant displacement can come back after repair.
Lift, fat grafting, or removal
Loose skin or a changed nipple position may call for a lift, which means more incisions and permanent scars. Fat grafting can thicken coverage or refine contour; some of the transferred fat is typically reabsorbed, more than one session may be needed, and fat necrosis is a known risk. Leaving the implants out permanently is also an option. No technique freezes tissue in place forever or guarantees you will never need another operation.
No approach can stop future tissue changes or guarantee that another operation will not be needed.
Support materials
In selected situations — never as a default — surgical mesh or acellular dermal matrix may be discussed. The FDA has not cleared or approved surgical mesh for use with breast implants or in breast reconstruction. If any support material is proposed, review its benefits and risks first.
Pathology and BIA-ALCL
Whether capsule tissue goes to pathology, and whether specific BIA-ALCL testing is done, is decided case by case. Ask how any removed capsule would be examined and whether your symptoms warrant particular tests. A routine look at the capsule is not the same as a diagnostic workup for suspected BIA-ALCL. Results from appropriate fluid or tissue testing can change what is done in surgery.
Related options
Related options include breast lift surgery in La Jolla, breast implant removal in La Jolla, and en bloc capsulectomy information for La Jolla. En bloc removal is not required for every revision.
Keep the office visit and operation separate
The team will give you the operating facility’s address, arrival time, and discharge instructions before surgery day. Do not treat the University City consultation address as the place you go for the operation. Plan a ride from the accredited operating room and separate trips back to this office for examinations. If you will recover away from the area, ask how long you should stay nearby and when you must come back; there is no one stay length that fits every patient.The findings of appropriate fluid or tissue testing may change the surgical plan.
Safety
Implant safety and surgical risks
FDA rules require a boxed warning and a patient decision checklist on breast implant labeling. Implants are not lifetime devices; the chance of complications rises with time, and more surgery may be needed. Before any replacement, go through the manufacturer’s labeling and checklist with your surgeon. You must have the opportunity to initial and sign the checklist, and the implanting physician must sign it. This page is not a substitute for that process.
If you have silicone implants and no symptoms, FDA guidance recommends ultrasound or MRI starting five to six years after placement, then every two to three years. Symptoms can mean you need imaging sooner. There is no automatic “replace at ten or fifteen years” rule.
| Monday | 9:00 AM–4:30 PM |
| Tuesday–Friday | 8:30 AM–4:30 PM |
| Saturday–Sunday | Closed |
BIA-ALCL is an immune-system cancer seen more often with textured implants. Ongoing swelling, a new lump, or pain around an implant should be evaluated promptly — before a routine exchange is planned. The FDA does not recommend removing implants solely because of BIA-ALCL concern when there are no symptoms. Other cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma, have been reported in the capsule as well.
Some people describe fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, or other systemic symptoms under the label breast implant illness (BII). Cause and individual risk remain poorly understood. Talk through other explanations and the possible upsides and limits of removal; improvement in symptoms cannot be guaranteed.
Risks
Revision risks
Risks of revision surgery include anesthesia problems, bleeding, infection, fluid collection, poor wound healing, lasting pain, sensation changes, unfavorable scars, asymmetry, blood clots, and needing another operation. Implant issues can return. Your overall health and prior surgeries affect your risk profile. Chest pain or shortness of breath needs urgent medical care.
Whether capsule tissue goes to pathology, and whether specific BIA-ALCL testing is done, is decided case by case.
A routine look at the capsule is not the same as a diagnostic workup for suspected BIA-ALCL. Results from appropriate fluid or tissue testing can change what is done in surgery.
See en bloc capsulectomy information for La Jolla when that approach is discussed.
Cost
Breast revision cost for La Jolla patients
For breast augmentation revision, the practice currently quotes $8,000–$15,000. That figure includes the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, facility fees, and implants, and it is the same whether you consult in La Jolla or Newport Beach.
Ask for a written quote tied to the operation proposed for you. Clarify which procedures, tests, and follow-up visits are covered and what else might raise the total. Whether insurance helps depends on your policy, diagnosis, and authorization rules — check with your insurer before surgery.
What to ask about pricing
Ask which planned procedures are included in the written quote.
Ask which tests and follow-up services the quote covers.
Ask what could add to the cost after the examination.
Check insurance coverage with your insurer before surgery.
Financing information for La Jolla patients is available on the financing page.
Practice pricing information for La Jolla patients · Financing information for La Jolla patients
Recovery
Recovery and returning to the University City office
Desk work is often possible after about a week, but some patients need more time. Adding pocket repair, a lift, or fat grafting can lengthen recovery. Follow the instructions your surgeon gives you instead of a generic calendar.
Transportation
Have an adult drive you home from the operating facility and stay available early on. Ask specifically about medications, wound care, drains if used, support garments, how to sleep, and lifting limits. Short, gentle walks are fine only when directed. Do not drive while on sedating medication, or until you can steer, brake, and react safely and your surgeon has cleared you.
Early care
Clearance for exercise and swimming is individual. Shape, swelling, and scars can keep changing for months; many patients feel more settled somewhere between six and twelve months. Call promptly about new or worsening pain, redness, obvious asymmetry, or swelling.
Driving
Do not drive while taking sedating medication or until you can safely steer, brake, and react and your surgeon has cleared you.
Activity
Exercise and swimming require individual clearance. Breast shape, swelling, and scars may continue to change for months; some patients need six to twelve months to feel settled.
Follow-ups
Return visits happen at the same University City office as your La Jolla consultation. Ask when each check is due and how to reach the team after hours. The office hours listed above are not an emergency schedule.
When to call
Report new or worsening pain, redness, marked asymmetry, or swelling promptly.
The office hours above are not an emergency-care schedule.
Seek urgent medical care for chest pain or shortness of breath.
Follow your surgeon's instructions rather than a fixed calendar.
Settling may continue for six to twelve months.
Return visits stay at the University City consultation office.
Ask how to reach the team with concerns outside office hours.
Photographs
Reviewing revision photographs at your La Jolla visit
Request revision photographs that match the issues you care about. Both offices use the same practice gallery; the images are not unique to La Jolla or Newport Beach. Photographs are examples, not a promise of your result.
Practice photo gallery information for La Jolla patients
Gallery cases are reviewed at consultation with consent in mind.
Shared gallery
The same practice gallery is used for both consultation offices.
These photographs are not location-specific results.
Photographs do not guarantee your outcome.
What you can ask to see
Ask to see revision photographs relevant to your concerns at your La Jolla visit.
Bring notes about the implant issues you want the photographs to illustrate.
Consent and case labels are verified by the practice before photographs are shown.
General gallery page
The general photo gallery page provides practice photo gallery information for La Jolla patients.
It does not replace a consultation review of cases matched to your concerns.
Do not treat explant galleries as revision case sets.
Before your visit
Write down the implant concerns you want photographs to address.
Ask whether the photographs show exchange, pocket repair, a lift, or removal.
Remember that photographs do not guarantee your outcome.
The same shared gallery policy applies at Newport Beach.
Your consultation remains the place to review matched cases.
Your surgeon
Your surgeon for breast revision in La Jolla
Dr. Sayed is certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, and he has been recertified in both after ten years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
He earned his medical degree at the UCSF School of Medicine, completed general surgery training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard, and returned to UCSF for his plastic surgery fellowship.
Ask how often he performs revisions like yours and how your health, tissue quality, and previous operations shape the plan.
American Board of Plastic Surgery
Board certified and recertified
American Board of Surgery
Board certified and recertified
UCSF School of Medicine
MD and plastic surgery residency
Harvard, Mass General
General surgery training
Kellogg School of Management
Executive MBA, Northwestern
Alpha Omega Alpha
National medical honor society
Request a breast revision consultation in La Jolla
Come ready with questions about firmness, implant position, size, or other changes. New swelling, a lump, or ongoing pain deserves prompt evaluation — do not wait for a routine cosmetic consult to ask about those symptoms.
Questions
Breast augmentation revision in La Jolla: common questions
Do breast implants have to be redone?
There is no calendar date when implants must be replaced. They are not lifetime devices, yet age by itself does not decide that surgery is needed. Rupture, contracture, displacement, new symptoms, imaging findings, and your goals are what drive the decision.
How soon after a breast augmentation can I get a revision?
If the reason is cosmetic, it can make sense to wait until swelling settles and the breast position looks stable. There is no guaranteed six-month cutoff; timing is personal. Suspected rupture, infection, or other serious changes should be evaluated without delay.
How much does breast revision cost for La Jolla patients?
Expect a practice range of $8,000–$15,000 that covers the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, facility fees, and implants. Get a written quote for the procedures proposed for you and ask what else might be billed separately. The range is practice-wide, so both consultation offices use it. Insurance depends on your policy.
Will I need a breast lift with my revision?
If the skin is lax or the nipple sits lower than you want, a lift may be part of the recommendation. When skin and pocket support are already adequate, an exchange alone can be enough. A lift means additional incisions and permanent scars; the choice rests on your exam and goals.
Can I change my implant size during a revision?
You can talk about going larger or smaller. A big size drop can leave excess skin, so a lift or removal without replacement may enter the conversation. Anatomy matters as much as preference when choosing an implant.
Can I switch from saline to silicone?
Moving from saline to silicone can be discussed. Cover tissue thickness, how the implant will feel, rippling risk, labeling requirements, and the imaging follow-up recommended for silicone. A fill change does not erase implant risks or lock in a specific look.
What is capsular contracture, and how is it corrected?
It is scar tissue around an implant that has become tight. Firmness, discomfort, or shape change can follow. Correction may mean releasing or removing the capsule, with implant exchange or removal as needed. Contracture can return later.
Can a revision fix implants that have dropped or shifted?
Bottoming out, sideways drift, or symmastia can often be improved by repairing the pocket or changing where the implant sits. Internal sutures or other support may be considered. The implant can still move again.
Can a revision fix rippling?
Sometimes, depending on how much soft-tissue coverage you have and where the implant sits. Changing the implant or its plane, adding fat grafting, or discussing support material are among the options. If mesh is suggested, review risks carefully — the FDA has not cleared or approved mesh for use with breast implants.
Will my capsule be sent to pathology?
That decision, and any specific BIA-ALCL testing, is made case by case. Ask which tissue would be examined and which tests fit your situation. Routine capsule examination is not equivalent to the fluid or tissue evaluation used when BIA-ALCL is suspected.
Can you revise implants another surgeon placed?
Yes. Bring whatever implant details, operative notes, and imaging reports you have. Dr. Sayed reviews that history with your exam before saying whether revision makes sense.
How long is recovery after a breast revision?
Many patients resume desk work after roughly a week; others need longer. Exercise clearance is individual, and the breasts may keep settling for six to twelve months. Follow-ups stay at the University City office where your La Jolla consultation took place.
What if I would rather remove my implants than revise them?
You can remove implants without putting new ones in, with or without a lift or fat grafting. Talk through the shape you should expect and the risks. See breast implant removal in La Jolla and breast implant illness evaluation in La Jolla; BII symptom improvement cannot be guaranteed.
Why choose Dr. Sayed for breast revision?
Look over the qualifications above, then ask about experience with cases like yours, what alternatives exist, and how complications would be handled. The consultation should also cover what another operation cannot fix.
Where is the La Jolla consultation office, and when does it open?
The office is in University City at 4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92121. Monday hours are 9:00 AM–4:30 PM; Tuesday–Friday hours are 8:30 AM–4:30 PM, Pacific Time. It is closed Saturday and Sunday. Confirm your appointment time when scheduling. Call (858) 247-2933.
Will my operation and follow-ups be at the University City office?
Follow-ups stay at the same University City office as your consultation. Surgery is performed only in accredited operating rooms separate from both consultation offices. Get the operating facility’s address before you arrange transportation. If you are traveling, ask how long to remain nearby and when to come back for follow-up.