How Will my Breasts Look if I Choose to Have the Implants Removed?

if i decide to get breast implants, what happens should i decide to not get replacements in case the implant needs to be removed (e.g. rupture). Does my breast tissue stay permanently stretched out? Will my original breast tissue and shape recover? I'm in my mid-40's

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age 45-54 removal

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5 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon

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Implant removal

If you have implants removed and not replaced, a lot of factors will determine how the breasts will look, This includes how long they were in for, how large the implants were, and how much native breast tissue you have. More than likely if they wre in for a long time, the tissues will remain stretched somwhat, but I couldn;t be sure without more info and an exam.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Breasts will look different after implant removal

Shirl: In my experience, your breasts will look less youthful, wider, and less projecting after removal of implants that have been in for many years. We saw this in the 90's when many women became scared of their silicone gel implants. They wanted to avoid or treat gel leakage, and were influenced by media hype. Currently, most women choose to have their implants replaced when leakage occurs. Leakage of saline is easily diagnosed (you can tell within hours or days) and easily treated by... more

There are many factors to consider

Once an implant is placed it will change your tissues in variable ways. In other words, if you chose a larger implant, if your tissues are lax already, i,.e. you have some stretch marrks, etc., these changes will persist if the implants are removed. I have cared for a few patients who had implants placed over a decde previously and they oprted to have them removed because their breasts had changed over time. In my few patients, they were happy with their breasts and did not request a... more

Hard to say because of so many variables

In general, most patients who elect to have breast implants removed and not replaced, are okay with their appearance. They have been appropriated counseled beforehand of what to expect with explantation. Typically the breasts appear deflated and have some droop. However, the bigger the implants and the more the skin has lost its elasticity, the worse the appearance after explanation. If the appearance is unacceptable to you, a mastopexy (lift) to reduce the skin and lift the breasts is a... more

Appearance of breasts after implant removal

There are so many factors that will effect the ultimate outcome and appearance of your breasts following implant removal. These include: Age (yes, over 40 does mean less elasticity/contractility than a 25 year old but usually more than a 60 year old) Size of implant Number of years implant is in place Over or under the muscle placement Length and duration of nursing while implants are in place Natural volume of breast tissue In summary, it is my experience that If you go with a... more