Important factors to consider before breast implant removal (explant surgery)
Written by Mark Domanski, MD
We are seeing an increase in the number of patients requesting breast implant removal.
Breast implant removal-what you should know
Here is what patients should know about breast implant removal:
If a patient wants their breast implants removed, this is sufficient reason.
- We do not require any tests to confirm breast implant illness (BII).
Our patients may choose to have a breast lift at the time of explant or not.
- It is okay to “wait and see” if a breast lift (mastopexy) will be necessary. Often it is not.
Age is not a factor.
- We have successfully removed breast implants in patients into their late 80s.
Sometimes drains are required.
- This can help prevent a seroma and speed healing.
Recovery is easier than after a breast augmentation.
- Patients go home the same day and can shower the next day.
Scar tissue around the breast implant, called the breast implant capsule, may have to be removed.
- This is called a capsulectomy.
- Often an en-bloc capsulectomy is performed. This is removal of the intact breast capsule with the implant inside.
Breast implant seroma may be sent for pathology.
- Pathological fluid examination would help rule out breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). BIA-ALCL is an extremely rare type of lymphoma associated with textured breast implants.
Ruptured breast implants can be safely removed.
- We do not find ruptured breast implants to be significantly harder to remove than intact implants
The incision is the same as for breast augmentation.
- If the implant went in, it can come out.
- The incision may need to be extended a centimeter or so if a capsulectomy needs to be performed.
Patients with large breast implants note less neck and back pain after removal.
Very Truly Yours,
