Does Breast Implant Removal Require Breast Lift Surgery?

There are several factors that determine the result of a breast implant removal. Your skin could stretch back under several conditions: (1) if your breast tissue did not decrease over the 8 year period from your original breasts; (2) if your pectorals major muscle maintained its bulk; (3) if your pectorals major was not cut during insertion; (4) or if it was cut during insertion, it was repaired successfully after explantation; (5) if your rib contour was not altered by the implants. In other words, your skin has to be supported by adequate volume in the breast. In general, breasts with sub pectoral implants tend to do better than sub glandular implants after explantation, because the breast tissue is less stretched by the implants. Breasts that had no contracture tend to do better. Your question is a good one but complicated to answer.

It may not be necessary to perform a breast lift operation after an implant removal.  It will just depend on how stretched out the skin is, what operation is performed, and how the skin responds after surgery.

I often recommend a lift at the same time as explant surgery. As the tissues become stretched and expanded with an implant over time, they often do not contract sufficiently post-operatively and need some skin removal/lifting. This will depend on many factors including the size of your implant, elasticity of your skin, amount of breast tissue, etc. 

Hi, there are a number of options you can choose from after your implants are removed. In our office, there is regular breast lift, natural breast augmentation, or California Lift. The last two is almost the same in the sense that they both uses fat transfer.
Breast lift is not a requirement but to get the best results aesthetically, it is advised to undergo that procedure as well because it is expected that there will be excess skin upon removal of an implant. Still, at the end of the day, it is up to the patient if they want a breast lift or not. 
Find a  board-certified plastic surgeon that has extensive experience with your case and discuss realistic goals and expectations. Best of luck! #RealSelf100

Thank you for your question. The questions you ask depend on a variety of factors.  How large are your implants?  What is your skin like?  Do you have ptosis?  This will help determine if you need a lift or not.  As far as finding a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, a good place to look is the website for ASPS or ASAPS.  Discuss with them your goals.  Together you will come up with a plan.

Hi there,
In order to achieve the optimal balance with size, shape & symmetry after breast explantation surgery, various breast, skin and implant factors will need to be taken into careful considerations. 
Your native breast dimensions and nipple positions will almost immediately dictate your personal desire and surgeon's preference of whether a concurrent breast lift is necessary or not. In "low-breasted" females or where the nipple positions lie at or below the level of the inframammary fold, a breast lift will certainly have the advantage of elevating the residual breast tissue and the nipple areolar complex to higher elegant positions at the expense of extra surgical scars on the breast mounds.
Depending on the quantity and quality of your residual breast skin, a breast lift may also be indicated to  tighten the overlying breast skin envelope for creating a firmer "perkier" result with or without appropriate replacement implants in restoring the ideal tension of the final surgical outcome. 
Obviously the bigger the implants that you've got right now and the longer that they've been inserted into you, the more they would have "stretched" your skin and "sagged" your breasts to a lower positions with a droopy appearance. A concurrent breast lift is often a necessary surgical remedy in rectifying this unfortunate situation.
Breast implant removal with breast lift procedure could be a complex surgical operation to get right. As noted above, there are a variety of factors that need to be considered carefully. I highly recommend you to see a fully qualified specialist plastic surgeon who is specialised & experienced in aesthetic breast surgery for further advice.
Hope that helps.
Best wishes
Ellis Choy