Breast Implant Removal
For plastic surgeons, breast augmentation is considered part of the “bread and butter” of our business. And yet, we rarely spend as much time talking about breast implant removal surgery.
Is breast implant removal painful? Will it leave a flat chest behind? Will it take as long to heal as the original surgery? As usual, it will all depend on what each patient wants and needs.
Why would I seek breast implant removal?
Just like with anything in plastic surgery, the reasons for seeking an explant surgery (or implant removal) are as varied as the people themselves. Some of the most common reasons people come to me to have their breast implants removed are:
Implant expiration
Whether silicone- or saline-filled, breast implants are ultimately human-made devices. They’re not meant to last forever. Their exact expiration date will vary depending on the model and quality.
On average, they’re meant to last 10 years. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommends changing them after a maximum of 15 years. At this point, you may just want to change the appearance of your breasts, try a new breast size, or get rid of the implants altogether.
Displacement
Sometimes one or both implants may slide into a different position than initially intended. Some “sliding” is natural and expected. Usually, we take this into account during the initial surgery, but we can never predict it with 100% accuracy. Changes in weight and breastfeeding can also cause displacement.
As a result, many women find that their implants are a bit too “to the sides” of the chest, or that they drop oddly in certain positions. Sometimes, we can correct this without removing the implant — but it may be easier to remove them and start anew.
Capsular contracture
Sometimes mistakenly known as “encapsulation,” capsule contractures are a painful complication of breast augmentation surgery.
Whenever we insert anything man-made into the body, the body will try to “encapsulate” and create a thin layer of scar tissue around it. This is as true for orthopedic pins as for breast implants — and it’s actually a good thing. This capsule will isolate the implant from the surrounding breast tissue. It will also help keep the implant in place, providing a firmer appearance.
However, sometimes this capsule hardens too much. Then, it starts to press on the implant, causing pain or changing its shape. When this happens, the only way to fix it is by taking the implant out.
Breast implant rupture
This is when the implant bursts or breaks for any reason. Often, a rupture can be immediately visible to the naked eye: one breast will look deflated, and you may see a slight asymmetry or feel a bump.
There are two types of rupture: intracapsular and extracapsular. In intracapsular ruptures, the implant will still be held in place by the capsule, so it won’t be as noticeable. Extracapsular ruptures, on the other hand, often need urgent surgery.
Breast implant illness (BII)
Breast implant illness is a complex and difficult condition caused by the way the body’s immune system reacts to the implant. Though it’s fortunately rare, it can severely derail your quality of life. Symptoms may include:
- severe joint pain
- frequent headaches
- fatigue
- unexplained skin rashes
- brain fog
- dry eyes
Currently, there is only one way to treat it, and that’s by removing both the implant and the surrounding capsule.
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What are the types of breast implant removal surgery?
Breast implant removal may refer to three different procedures:
- The removal alone, or simple explant surgery.
- A removal and replacement surgery.
- A removal and capsulectomy.
Naturally, each of these procedures will be done slightly differently, and recovery times will vary accordingly.
Simple breast explant surgery
This is the simplest of the lot. Under ideal circumstances — if the original implant was a high-quality, smooth silicone piece, we know there was no implant rupture, and there is no hardening or pain — this can be a very short surgery.
We simply make an incision on or around the breast and take out the implant. Then, we will ensure the areola and nipples are at the right place and close the incision.
The implant removal procedure can be done as an outpatient procedure (no overnight stay) and without general anesthesia. Sometimes it’s enough to simply numb the breast with local anesthesia, however, we may add IV sedation to make sure you’re comfortable.
Ideally, the removal incision should be in the same place as the original breast augmentation incision site. In this way, we can prevent a new scar altogether.
Often, simply removing the implant will leave behind a very abrupt change. Even when dealing with a small implant (let’s say, a B cup), patients can expect some sagging or even an indentation.
Therefore, explant surgery will almost always include a breast lift, or even a fat transfer — that is, we take fat cells from a different part of the body through liposuction, and we graft them in the breast to “fill it.”
Removal and replacement surgery
Next in the complexity ladder is to remove and replace the implant on the same day, leaving the capsule intact. Once again, the gold standard here is to use the same incision as before, rather than cause a brand-new scar.
If your past set of implants never gave you any trouble, we will also try to place the implant in the same capsule as the previous one.
This is often not possible for patients with capsular contracture, as it would naturally fail to relieve the pain, soreness, or other symptoms. In these cases, we can still try to leave the capsule inside the breast, and place the implant somewhere else — for example, if the original set was below the muscle, we can now place it over the muscle.
Usually, a removal and replacement procedure is not much longer than a regular breast augmentation. You can also expect the recovery to be very similar.
Implant removal and capsulectomy
A capsulectomy involves removing the entire capsule around the implant, which is much harder and more invasive. As a result, I generally only perform it when we need to do it, and will try to find a way to avoid it.
Why? Essentially, it creates a lot more trauma on the body. Instead of simply sliding the implant out, we will need to cut the capsule away from the rest of the breast tissue. This causes more pain and more bleeding. Because of this, we rarely do a removal, capsulectomy, and replacement all at once.
This procedure can only be done under general anesthesia, and you may need to stay at the hospital overnight. Likewise, the recovery period will also be much longer.
A capsulectomy may become necessary if:
- The capsule became really thick or stiff.
- You are looking for permanent relief from breast implant illness.
- You suffered from an extracapsular rupture.
- In cases of Breast-implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), an extremely rare form of cancer that has been linked with older types of implants.
Breast implant removal recovery timeline
The explant recovery timeline will depend on the exact procedure you’re getting but will follow similar steps.
First-day post-surgery
If you didn’t have a capsulectomy, you will likely not need to stay overnight at the hospital. If we did it under local anesthesia, you will leave awake and walking — but will still be dizzy and tired, so someone will have to drive you home. We will give you some pain medication for when the anesthesia wears off completely.
If you opted for general anesthesia, nausea may keep you from eating or drinking anything right away. You will likely need someone to stay with you for the first day.
Either way, you’ll go home with a set of well-bandaged sutures and special compression garments for your chest. If you also had a capsulectomy, you may need a drainage tube to prevent any excess fluid build-up.
The first five days
At this point, your incision sites will still feel very sore. You will still need to take it slow when getting up or walking for long periods.
If you work a desk job and had a simple removal (with no replacement), you may be able to go back to work after a couple of days. If you had a replacement, you may need a little longer. In the event of a capsulectomy, it may take up to a week to return to a regular, non-active routine.
One to two weeks post-op
Anywhere between one week and 10 days, you will have to come back to the office for a follow-up appointment. Here, we will take a look under your bandages, look for signs of infection, and remove any stitches or drainage tubes.
Provided the healing process is going forward as normal, you will be able to drive about a week after surgery. However, you will still need to:
- avoid heavy lifting
- steer clear of pools and hot tubs
- continue using a supportive bra
- avoid sleeping on your stomach
Long-term implant removal recovery
Full recovery from removal or removal and replacement may take between four and six weeks. At this point, you may also see something very close to the “final result” as your body will have adjusted to its new size.
The capsulectomy recovery time may take an extra week or two.
Why choose Dr. Saber for breast implant removal in Los Angeles?
Dr. Sepideh Saber is a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience in reconstructive and cosmetic procedures. In addition to her state-of-the-art training at Stanford Univeristy, she also offers an empathetic healthcare model, where both patient and doctor work together to design the best solution for any case.
To request a consultation, call (877) 205-4100 or schedule a consultation online.
The practice of Dr. Saber is located in Encino, CA for patients throughout the Los Angeles area. We are also convenient to Encino, Woodland Hills, Sherman Oaks, Calabasas, Burbank, Glendale, Hidden Hills, Agoura Hills, Northridge, North Hollywood, Malibu, Topanga, Canoga Park, Reseda, Valley Glen, Chatsworth, West Hills, Winnetka, Universal City, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Downtown Los Angeles, Silverlake, and Echo Park.
CALL (818) 770-7050 OR CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE ONLINE
What patients say about Dr. Saber …
Dr Saber helped me get back the body I have always desired. I had a lot of stomach fat from weight gain and I lost weight so a lot of my weight was in my front lower and upper abdomen.
Now I have a super beautiful curvy body like an hourglass after a tummy tuck and lipo she did. She understood the assignment hahaha . I’m 32 years old no kids just wanted to enjoy my younger body looking and feeling beautiful and she really took good care of me. Even after hours I had an emergency due to my fault but she was there and got back to me very quickly and I’m very grateful. I also think her work says a lot because I stopped taking pain medication on the 3rd day after surgery and was fine with very minimal pain I was able to tolerate the healing process. Highly recommend going with her I just had a wonderful experience and would do it all over again if I had too. Maybe after I have kids. Thanks Dr Saber and team
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