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Aesthetic Result After Breast Implant Removal?

asked 2 years ago by Bria09 in UK
Latest answer by Steven Wallach, MD
Question viewed 2,403 times
Tags: breasts

I had a silent breast implant rupture (no encapsulation). My breasts are both soft and jiggly. The implants are 10 years old, mushy, and soft, and I have at least a B cup of my own tissue (sub-dermal implants). They are not droopy. Will I be deformed after having my breast implants removed? I'm very scared, my aesthetic result is important to me. What will I look like after explantation? What should I expect? Will I need a breast lift? Will all my own tissue be removed, leaving me with concave "puppy dog ears"?

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18 answers to Aesthetic Result After Breast Implant Removal?

Explantation of ruptured silicone gel implants

Sorry to read about your plight, Bria. The MRI with a dedicated breast coil is the most definitive diagnostic technique for silicone breast implant rupture. I missed whether your implant rupture was intracapsular and/or extracapsular (i.e. contained by the naturally occuring scar tissue, which forms around all implants). You specified that pre-op you had a natural "B" cup, that your implants were placed on top of the muscle and are currently "jiggly"... more

Lavinia Chong, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Optimizing results after breast implant removal

Removal of breast implants should not lead to any breast distortion, provided that the patient is assessed properly preoperative so that an ideal technique is used during surgery. For majority of patients removing the implants would not require breast lift. Make sure your surgeon has lots of experience with implant removal without replacement, as there are a few technical steps need to be taken to avoid complications.

Boris M. Ackerman, MD
Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon

www.doctorackerman.com

What to expect after breast implant removal

If you do not want another implant inserted after your implant removal, the final result depends on the amount of breast tissue you have and the size of the implant. Since you have a natural "B" this is favorable compared to having no natural breast tissue. If your implant is very large this will potentially create more sagging. The safest was to deal with this situation is to remove the implants and then 6-9 months later, if needed, perform a breast lift. The... more

William Bruno, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Aesthetic results after breast implant removal

Aesthetic results can be unpredictable after breast implant removal. Over time, the breast skin envelope stretches, and the longer the implants are in, the more likely the skin will be stretched. Also, larger implants will produce more skin stretching than smaller implants. Your age and skin tone also factor into the equation: the older individual with less elastic skin will probably have a less favorable result. Stretching of the breast skin is correctable with breast lift procedures.... more

Pamela B. Rosen, MD
Coral Springs Plastic Surgeon

Removing implants

It is difficult to predict what your breasts will look like after implant removal. Those that have more native breast tissue with smaller implants usually do better.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Breast itmplant removal aesthetic outcome

There are so many factors that will effect the ultimate outcome and appearance of your breasts following implant removal. These include: 1.Age (yes, over 40 does mean less elasticity/contractility than a 25 year old but usually more than a 60 year old) 2.Size of implant 3.Number of years implant is in place 4.Over or under the muscle placement 5.Length and duration of nursing while implants are in place 6.Natural volume of breast tissue In summary, it is my... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Results after breast implant removal

It really depends on the proportion between you breast tissue and implant volume. If there is more breast tissue than implant and the implant is not very large you should have a good result after implant removal. If the implant is very big in proportion to the original breast size, a mastopexy might be necessary. You can also replace with another implant.

Farhad Rafizadeh, MD
Morristown Plastic Surgeon

This varies unfortunately.

Hello, Removal without replacement of breast implants provides variable results. Some women have enough tissue that things can look pretty good afterward while others don't or have large differences between their breasts. Best Regards, John Di Saia MD

John P. Di Saia, MD
Orange Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implant Removal After Silent Rupture

"Silent rupture", means that the effect of the broken implant is not visible to the naked eye or noticeable to touch. This is generally the case with silicone gel implants. Rarely, a saline implant may have a very slow, pinhole leak that is essentially silent. Most often, a silent rupture is picked up on screening MRI. The current recommendation is that such an implant be removed. The reason for this recommendation is because, while we know that silicone... more

Karen Vaniver, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Replacement of old breast implants is easy

You seem to have done well with your old implants. With a rupture (and how do you know that it has ruptured?) a replacement should be done at your convenience. This is not an emergency. Repeat, this is not an emergency. If you want no implants, you will be sacrificing volume with the removal of the old implants. If there is a mismatch between your skin surface are and the volume of the remaining breasts, the breasts may appear deflated. A breast lift... more

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Your final result will depend on the removal technique

Implants stretch out the tissue. The pocket that the implants are sitting in can also sag, when the implants are removed. You can remove the implants and take the chance that the tissue will sag or you can have the pocket closed with sutures that also lift the breasts at the same time. I call this an internal mastopexy. Is it perfect? No, but may be better than the alternative.

Robert M. Freund, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant removal and cosmetic appearance

Breast implant removal is a common procedure but the ultimate results will depend on the degree of skin laxity present. The more resilient your breast skin is, the less you are likely to need additional corrective surgery.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Aesthetic result after breast implants are removed

The breast implants that had been placed have stretched out the tissue around them. When the implant is removed you will notice some sagging of the breast. If this displeases you, you may choose to have another implant put in its place or to receive a small breast lift.

B. Pat Pazmino, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant removal - aesthetic outcome expectations

Without a photo- its difficult to judge how your breasts will look with the implants out- if you have a ruptured silicone implant- it should be removed. The appearance of your breast after explantation will depend on how much native breast tissue you have, and its positioning on your chest wall. Your choices are three: remove implants, remove and replace implants, remove implants and get a breast lift. Seek out a board certified plastic surgeon to help sort out these issues. more

Scott Sattler, MD
Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

Removal and Replacement is advised for Ruptured Gel Implants

If your gel implants are ruptured, they need to be removed. This will changed the appearance of your breasts. Depending on the degree of tissue sag and contour, you have three choices: 1) Remove the implants alone 2) Remove the implants and replace them 3) Remove the implants and have a breast lift. Your best bet is to discuss these options with your plastic surgeon.

Kevin Brenner, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Results after breast implant removal

Without a photo it is hard to say for your particular circumsatnce but I aggree with the other doctors. You will lose your upper pole volume and, at best, you will look like you did before surgery plus a little more stretching. The easiest thing for you to do and not have to worry is to just replace the old implants with new ones.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Breasts can look aesthetic after implant removal

You raise many good points. First the question is will you accept new implants or not? For some patients, the answer to this question is yes if needed to produce a good result, definitely I want them or no I absolutely do not want. Your doctor needs to know the answer to this question in order to develop a plan for you. Second, if you want an optimal aesthetic result and had any kind of drooping of the breast tissue or a low nipple prior to the original augmentation... more

Tracy Pfeifer, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Result after implant removal is unpredictable.

You said that you have a breast implant rupture and you like your breasts with the implants in place. You could always just remove your current implants and place new implants into the same location or change to a subpectoral (under the muscle) position. If you want to remove your implants all together, then it is unclear and hard to predict what your breasts will look like after explantation. So much depends on your skin quality and elasticity. The best thing to do is remove the implants... more