Cosmetic Surgery to replace or remove breast implants

Procedure Summary

While the concept of cosmetic surgery being used to insert breast implants to enhance a woman’s bust has become familiar in western society, not as many people are aware of the converse procedure – breast implant removal. If you are unhappy with your implants and want to have them either replaced or removed completely, a breast implant removal procedure may be for you.

Reasons for removing breast implants

Reasons for having your breast implants removed may be medical or cosmetic. For example, there may be…

• a problem with the implant itself, such as a change of size or shape, leakage, rupture, asymmetry or capsular contracture.
• a desire to return to your pre-surgery body shape, or to exchange unsatisfactory implants for better ones – they may be too high, too low, too large, too small or too fake-looking.
• a physical reaction to the implants, such as bleeding, infection or calcium deposits.
• a medical necessity that involves breast surgery, such as breast cancer .

Whatever your reason, breast implants can be removed at any time with a fairly straightforward surgical procedure.

“I was disappointed with my breast implants,” says one woman who had undergone a breast augmentation operation two years previously. “Even though they were only small ones, they seemed so unnatural and even rippled when I touched them. After much discussion with the surgeon I decided to have them removed completely. Now that the implants have gone it feels good to have my old small breasts back again.”

How the implant is removed

For removal only, the length of the operation will be between 30 minutes and 1 hour. General anaesthesia is typically used for implant removal surgery. Although some women do have the operation under local anaesthetic when undergoing a basic implant removal. An incision is made either around the areola or under the fold of the breast. The capsule that surrounds the implant is cut into and the implant removed. If it is a silicone-filled implant, it will be inspected for any signs of rupture or leakage before removal. If it is a saline-filled implant, the cosmetic surgeon may deflate the implant to assist removal.

Recovery and possible drawbacks

During the initial period after breast implant removal, there may be some discomfort. As one women said after her implant removal, “My breasts were a bit tender and there was some swelling and bruising, but that died down over the course of a week or so.” Patients only undergoing the surgery to remove their breast implants will experience little discomfort during and after the surgery and their recuperation time will be minimal, often returning to everyday activity within a few days and full activity within three weeks. Complete recovery should be complete after a number of months. Patients undergoing the surgery for medical reasons, however, will experience a more onerous time with a longer period needed for recuperation.

Before undergoing breast implant removal surgery, you should be aware of the possible implications. For instance, after breast implant removal, some women suffer from psychological distress similar to that experienced by women after a mastectomy. (If these psychological symptoms do not decrease within a month or so after breast implant removal, you should ask for help from a professional).

In addition, some rare complications are possible, including loss of nipple sensation, scarring, bleeding, loose skin and breast asymmetry which may occur when a breast implant is not replaced, leading to the need for further corrective surgery. If you have had particularly large implants for some time and choose to have them removed, it is more than likely that a breast lift procedure will be necessary to retain some firmness in your breasts.

Thousands of breast implant removal procedures are carried out each year. When performed by a qualified cosmetic surgeon, and when the patient complies with all pre and post operation advice, the results are successful in a vast majority of cases.

Choosing a suitable surgeon for implant removal

As with breast implant insertion, only fully trained and qualified cosmetic surgeons should perform an implant removal. The surgeon should possess the relevant expertise after experience operating in an establishment registered with the Healthcare Commission (in the UK).

Depending on the individual circumstances of the patient, a breast implant removal procedure will usually cost between £3,000-£5000. If you are considering breast implant removal, whether for aesthetic or medical reasons, it is important to thoroughly discuss the advantages and the drawbacks of your situation with your surgeon at your initial consultation.

Related Breast Implant Removal Information

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