Breast Implant Removal

Breast implants are not lifelong devices and it is important to have them exchanged or removed if they are no longer giving you the results that you once desired, or are causing you physical discomfort or emotional distress.

Choosing to have your breast implants removed is a personal decision. Over time desires change. Some women prefer to remove their implants in order to reduce breast size as a result of weight gain or they are no longer satisfied with their result due to the effects of aging. Others opt for removal because they no longer desire implants themselves, or they have become firm, shifted, ruptured or cause pain. Whatever the reason, we are happy to discuss options to safely remove the implants and the scar tissue (capsule) surrounding the implants.

Rest assured that there are other options following implant removal to assist with volume and shape of the breast. Fat transfer can achieve volume supplementation without the future maintenance of implants. Alternatively, for those looking to rejuvenate, smaller implants can replace the current implants in conjunction with a breast lift to create the desired aesthetic result.

Removal of the implant devices is an out-patient procedure and is dependent on a patient’s type of implants which dictates local anesthetic or local anesthesia with IV sedation or general anesthesia. Typically, to remove the implants, an incision is made under the breast, often using the same scar from the original augmentation surgery. If the implants are saline, they may be deflated in the office before they are removed. This simple step helps aid the decision making process in predicting ultimate volume and shape without breast implants.