Have You Fallen Out of Love with Your Breast Implants?
Have You Fallen out of Love with Your Breast Implants?
You don’t have to live with your implants if they no longer are complimenting you, or if they are uncomfortable, too big, too far apart, too high, too low, ruptured, or uneven. There are many reasons why women no longer desire their implants after breast augmentation and breast implant removal surgery is on the rise. What’s important to know is that there are lots of options for having beautiful breasts after removing your implants.
Is it scary to think about how you will look once your implants are gone? Having your saline or silicone implants removed can offer you not only peace of mind, it also offer you a visual result that is pleasing and beautiful. Be sure to consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who specializes in this procedure so that at the end of your journey you feel good about your decisions. Implants affect all of us in different ways so any surgical plan must consider your unique physical and emotional state, as well as the end result you are looking for.
There are many options to consider when your implants are being explanted.
Implant Removal or Explant:
When the desire is to have no implant, explant surgery alone is sufficient. The freedom of having no foreign body allows many women to have the lifestyle that’s comfortable for them. With this procedure, the implant is removed and over time the breast tissue slowly adjusts to its new state. Sometimes the breast can be small or hang low. The recovery is quite easy, although swelling is a sure thing.
Implant Removal and Replacement:
When little natural tissue remains or there is a desire for a different size, breast implant removal, and replacement is a good solution. Your surgeon will remove existing implants, revise the internal tissues, and place a more appropriate implant that gives you the look you are interested in. The benefits are that you now have “new” implants in the right position. When your implants are being “replaced”, you and your surgeon together will pick the size and will also discuss if any adjunctive surgery is necessary to give you the look you’re going for.
Explant Lift:
It’s possible to tighten and lift the breast at the same time your implants are removed. This combined procedure instantly rounds out the breast, lifts the nipple and breast, tightens the skin, reduces the areola, and improves the overall look of the breast. In addition to almost creating the look of a small implant, this is a great way to improve any discrepancies between the breasts. Time can cause the breasts to become uneven in size or shape, and the “lift” part of the procedure allows the surgeon to “even” things out. The price you pay for this add-on, which brings back youth, beauty, and comfort to the breasts, are additional scars on the surface of the breasts. Dr. Gurley says, “When the shape and position of the breast is right, the scars from the lift are less noticeable and less obvious.”
Capsulectomy:
Some patients desire or need the internal tissue surrounding the implant (capsule) to be removed at the same time as the explant (capsulectomy). One reason to remove the capsule is if it’s hardened, which is more common with older ruptured silicone implants. Another reason to remove the capsule is if the patient wants it out because they are experiencing symptoms of breast implant illness (BII) or in patients who are experiencing swelling, redness, pain, distortion or changes in their breast as may occur in Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma, or BIA- ALCL, a type of cancer that forms around textured silicone (gummy bear) breast implants. You may hear the term or wonder about en bloc capsulectomy, which means to remove the implant with the capsule all in one. In the maneuver, the surgeon leaves the capsule attached to the implant during removal, without disrupting either one.
Fat Transfer:
Fat transfer to the breast, or fat grafting, is another way to add fullness to the breast after implant removal. This is done by taking fat from one part of your body using liposuction and moving it to the breast to augment them. You instantly get rid of your problem areas while you gain perky natural breasts! This procedure can be combined with EXPLANT lift surgery as well as implant removal without lift.
Make sure you consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon when you are considering breast implant removal surgery. Board-certified plastic surgeons are fully trained to understand what your body has gone through with your previous operation and have the skills necessary to safely and beautifully give you your breasts back!! Reviewing their before and after photos will help you envision what you will look like having that surgeon do your surgery. If you like what you see then you have found the right surgeon! Here are some questions you should ask at your consultation.
Let’s Start a Conversation
Share this Article
Judith Gurley, MD (Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon)
Dr. Judith Gurley is a skilled plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience. Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, she trained at Washington University School of Medicine, where she served as an Attending and Assistant Professor. She is also an active member of The Aesthetic Society, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Association of Women Surgeons, St. Louis Society of Plastic Surgery, and FACS / American College of Surgeons Professional Association. With contributions to peer-reviewed journals and pioneering innovations, including FDA-approved treatments, she has been recognized as a Top Doctor.