Breast Implant removal surgery is carried out to address a range of issues, such as aesthetic or health concerns.
When it comes to breast implant removal surgery, there are a few things you should know. Implant removal isn’t just about addressing health or aesthetic issues. This procedure can also help solve concerns such as psychosocial stress that may have been caused by the size and shape of your chest before having them done.
Over time, changes in perception, lifestyle and health can all contribute to a patient’s desire to reverse their original breast implant procedure.
If you’re unhappy with your breast implants for any reason, it’s important to consult with a specialist plastic surgeon to discuss your options. You may want to consider both implant removal and replacement, or you may be satisfied with just removing the implants themselves.
Why do women consider breast implant removal?
A breast implant removal, also known as breast explant surgery, is a common procedure for patients who no longer need the device or are having problems with it. Patients may also choose this option if there’s more than one issue involved in their situation, such as poorly healed scars from previous surgeries on other parts of their body.
A range of factors can play a role in the decision to remove breast implants, some common reasons can include:
Personal Preferences – Some patients may simply want to have their breast implants removed. Patients may have enjoyed their implants, but have found their body has changed with age, pregnancy, hormones, or weight fluctuations. Removing breast implants for some, is about rebalancing their body proportions and being free of implants.
Medical Complications – Breast implants can sometimes cause health concerns. These include chronic pain, infections, or symptoms of toxicity due to the breast implant materials. There have also been cases where breast implants have ruptured, deflated, or shifted. In some of these cases, surgery to remove the implants is the only solution.
A rupture of an implant may result in visible changes or may be asymptomatic and identified on a routine ultrasound. Pain, tightness, and changes in appearance related to a capsular contracture would also warrant removal of the implant. This refers to adverse scarring around an implant that can eventually distort the implant as well as feel uncomfortable.
Aesthetic Concerns – Patients may choose to remove their implants if they are unhappy with the appearance of their breasts. This could be due to breast asymmetry, implant size or shape, wrinkles, or ripples in the skin around the implant or visible scarring.
Breast Implant Illness – In recent years, an increasing number of patients have reported illness and symptoms linked to breast implants. Although the link is still controversial amongst specialists, patients continue to present with concerns about this possible association.
Some women experience extreme symptoms that they believe are linked to their implants. Common symptoms can include fatigue, chronic pain, and mental clouding in addition to autoimmune signs such as rashes, arthritis or gastrointestinal upset and neurological conditions.
These symptoms can be debilitating at times, and patients have often been through the process of investigations and seeing specialists to exclude other diagnoses that may explain their symptoms.
En Bloc Technique
The layers of your skin around the implant will naturally form a capsule to keep it in place. This natural scarring can be thin and filmy, but when you get an overly thick layer that is uncomfortable for many people. It will become more obvious with distortion due to their shape being changed by contraction from indented areas where there was too much tissue growth.
The en bloc capsulectomy is a surgical procedure in which the surgeon removes all of an implant’s remnants and capsule, including any silicone removed from this area. This ensures that there are no leakages into the surrounding tissue.
For more information on en bloc capsulectomy please click the link.
Breast Implant Revision
Breast implant revision is an umbrella term to describe any number of strategies used to improve or rectify problems related to breast implants. In some cases, breast implant removal may be a part of a larger revision procedure. This could involve replacing or removing implants, as well as correcting any deformities or irregularities in the breasts.
The surgery often combines multiple techniques such as capsulectomy, to replace implants for a different size, manipulating the implant pocket, breast lifting or even fat grafting.
Click on the link for more information regarding breast revision surgery.
Breast Lift
Some patients may choose to have a breast lift in addition to their breast implant removal. This surgery is a complex procedure designed to raise and reshape sagging breasts to alter the shape and position following the loss of volume when implants are removed.
It carries some risks owing to the complexity of the surgery and is therefore not always appropriate to be offered at the same time as an implant removal.
Dr Quoc Lam will discuss your potential risks based on general health, smoking status, previous breast surgical history, thickness of your skin and tissues thickness over your implants.
Patients should have a detailed discussion surrounding the options with a qualified surgeon to see if they are a good candidate for a breast lift. Please click on the link for more information on breast lifts.
Fat Transfer
Also known as lipoaugmentation or fat grafting, this procedure involves transferring fat from other areas of the body (often the hips, thighs, or abdomen) to the breast area.
Fat transfer is a relatively new technique, and it has seen some big advances in recent years, with volume able to be transferred increasing while maximizing fat survival. This procedure can either occur at the same time as breast implant removal, with or without capsulectomy depending on how much residual tissue is left over in the breast.
If there is an adequate volume to support new fat from other areas, it may be appropriate to perform at the same time. However, if your tissue is too thin to initially support transferred fat, it may be better to wait until you have healed completely before fat grafting is to occur.
Each patient is different, the decision regarding fat grafting following implant removals are complex. These discussions need to be guided by Dr Lam based on your goals and general health. Click on the link for more information about fat transfer.
How long is the recovery after breast implant removal?
The recovery time after breast implant removal is usually shorter than the recovery from an initial breast implant operation. This is due to there being no procedure performed on the breast tissue. The procedure simply involves removing the implant and any scar tissue that may have formed around it.
Patients usually spend about one night in hospital following the surgery. Most people feel fairly good within a week and are able to return to work within two weeks. However, strenuous activities may be limited for two to four weeks.
Ask a Question or Book a Consultation
When you visit Dr Lam at Cranford House Plastic Surgery, he’ll assess your health and discuss with you what results are desired for the best outcome.
A consultation isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s also an opportunity to talk through treatment options that can be tailored specifically towards how you want them displayed. This includes everything from surgery types all the way down to post-surgery care plans if applicable. To find out how Dr Lam and the team can help you, or to request a consultation, please contact us.
