Breast Implant Removal

Breast implants are synthetic medical devices that are surgically inserted either over or under the pectoral muscle to enhance the size and shape of the breasts. Each year, thousands of women choose breast augmentation with implants to achieve improvements in size, projection, symmetry, and overall appearance. 

While breast implant surgery generally results in high patient satisfaction rates, it may not be the ideal solution for everyone due to individual differences. In cases where breast implants cause physical discomfort or emotional distress, breast implant removal surgery, also known as explant surgery, may be the best option. Additionally, we can perform this explant surgery for patients who have had unsatisfactory outcomes from previous implant surgery carried out by another provider.

During your initial consultation with us, you can discuss your specific concerns related to physical symptoms or aesthetic preferences that you hope to address with explant surgery following breast augmentation. We will conduct a physical examination of your breasts and carefully review your medical and surgical history to assess your eligibility for breast implant removal surgery. 

Candidates for breast implant removal surgery may present with various medical and cosmetic issues, including: 

- Ruptured, leaking, or deteriorating implants 

- Physical discomfort caused by tightness, hardened scar tissue, implant weight, or symptoms of breast implant illness 

- Dissatisfaction with the size, shape, or position of the implants

Some of the most common reasons breast implant removal surgery is performed include: 

IMPLANT DEGRADATION, RUPTURED SALINE BREAST IMPLANT, RUPTURED SILICONE BREAST IMPLANT, BREAST IMPLANT ILLNESS (BII), CAPSULAR CONTRACTURE, IMPLANT REMOVAL FOR IMPLANT DISPLACEMENT (MALPOSITION), RIPPLING, BOTTOMED-OUT IMPLANTS, and PERSONAL PREFERENCE. Additionally, patients may seek explant surgery for various reasons related to their breast augmentation outcomes.

A breast lift, also known as mastopexy, involves the removal of excess skin and the elevation and reshaping of sagging breast tissue to restore a more youthful breast position. If factors such as aging or fluctuations in weight have led to issues like sagging breast tissue, elongated breasts, or downward-pointing nipples, it may be necessary to perform breast implant removal surgery in conjunction with the breast lift. This combined approach, often termed explant surgery and lift, can help achieve the desired aesthetic outcome.

In this combined procedure, older and/or problematic breast implants are exchanged for new ones during breast implant removal surgery. You have the flexibility to select replacement implants from a wide range of saline and silicone options, just like when you underwent your initial breast augmentation. 

The choice of replacement implants that best suit you will be influenced by any changes in your preferences since your previous breast implant surgery. While some women may decide on identical implants, others may opt for a different implant type, profile, and/or size to achieve a subtle or significant transformation in their appearance following explant surgery.