Condition
Problems after previous surgery
Implant replacement or removal, capsular contracture, a scar that bothers you, a result that is not what you expected — after our operation or someone else's.
Why does this happen?
Every operation has its own course and its own limits. Implants are not for life — over the years the body around them changes too. The scar tissue around an implant can tighten (capsular contracture) and the breast becomes firmer, painful or changes shape. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, changes in weight and time change the result of every operation. And sometimes the result was not what had been agreed from the start. None of this means you did something wrong.
What most often brings people to an examination?
Implant replacement — because of the age of the implants, a change in the size you want or a change in the shape of the breast.
Capsular contracture — the breast is hard, painful or has moved.
Implant removal — without new implants, with or without a lift.
A scar — wide, raised or in the wrong place.
The nose — after an earlier rhinoplasty, the shape or the breathing.
The abdomen — after an earlier tummy tuck.
The lips — after an injection of silicone or permanent filler: lumps, hardness or swelling.
This also applies to operations that were done elsewhere.
What should I bring to the examination?
What helps most is the documentation about the first operation: the implant card with the manufacturer, volume and serial number, the discharge letter or operation report, and photographs from before and after, if you have them. Without it, extra diagnostics are needed to get a clear picture; with the documentation, a decision is made faster and more reliably.
It is also useful to bring the latest ultrasound or MRI of the breasts, because this shows the state of the implants and the capsule before the examination. If you do not have documentation about your implant → Breast implants
What can be done?
| Problem | Procedure | Also, in the same visit |
|---|---|---|
| The implants are old, you want a different size or the breast has become hard | Breast implant replacement (re-augmentation) | A breast lift or areola correction in the same procedure. |
| You want the implants taken out without new ones | Breast implant removal (explantation) | A lift or filling with your own fat, in the same procedure. |
| The scar is wide, raised or in the wrong place | Scar revision | Together with the procedure that caused the scar. |
| The nose after an earlier rhinoplasty: shape or breathing | Rhinoplasty (nose surgery) | When breathing is difficult, the septum is straightened in the same procedure. |
| The abdomen after an earlier tummy tuck | Tummy tuck | — |
| A filler that bothers you or is of unknown composition | Filler dissolving and removal | — |
| Lips into which silicone was injected many years ago have become hard or lumpy, or keep swelling | Lip silicone removal | Any gaps that remain are filled with your own fat, as part of the same treatment. |
If a breast with an implant has become hard, changed shape or hurts, there is a separate page on it: Capsular contracture.
Specialist and team
Specialty: plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.
In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.
Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.
→ Doctors and team at Poliklinika Barbel
Frequently asked questions
How long do I wait after the first operation? To correct a result that does not match what was agreed, you wait at least six months, until the swelling has gone down and the tissue has settled. With a rupture, inflammation or pain, you do not wait.
Do you also deal with complications after operations abroad? Yes. We see patients who were operated on abroad in the same way as those operated on in Croatia.
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.