Will My Breasts Be Saggy After Implant Removal? I've Had Them For 8 Years. (photo)

Good day! Generally after explantation, the shape and size of the breast will be unpredictable. The breast will be smaller and possibly sag more. Still, it varies between patients depending on their age, duration and size of the implant, or previous state of their breasts like existing anatomy, deformity, previous surgeries, underlying personal and family medical conditions, nicotine use, and other factors. Improved appearance can also be achieved through natural breast augmentation or mastopexy in conjunction or after explantation. Do not hesitate to contact your surgeon about this and discuss realistic goals and expectations. Best of luck! #RealSelf100

Plastic surgeons occasionally
see women who request removal of their breast implants. They may want their implants removed for a
variety of medical, surgical, and aesthetic issues. It’s not unusual for these women to be
concerned about the development of breast sag following removal.Your picture suggests that you would probably require a
breast lift if your implants were removed. The presence of a nipple areola complex that sets below the inframammary
fold, poor skin tone, and a high ratio of implant volume to native breast
tissue volume all suggest that breast sag is likely.Breast sag following explantation is more likely in
patient’s who have had multiple pregnancies, have breast fed, have had weight fluctuations,
and have had implants for longer periods of time.If the implants are large and placed on top
of the muscle, the incidence of breast sag with implant removal is higher as
well.If you’re considering removal of your breast implants,
consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon is appropriate.This surgeon should be able to determine the
likelihood of breast sag following implant removal.

Yes. More than likely, your breasts will sag to some degree after implant removal.  However, I have also seen great retraction of the breasts after implant removal in some of my patients.  See link below for photos.

An analogy would be pregnancy...some women have skin that retracts well after pregnancy and some need to have loose skin tightened and removed...you could remove your implants and your skin might retract well and have an acceptable result...however, you already have some sagging and you said you have had a tummy tuck which suggests that your skin may not retract well.  I would suggest you do the implant removal first and evaluate the need for a lift as a trade for more scars after you have healed.

Thank you for the question.

Based on your pictures, there will obviously be a loss of “fullness” and some degree of sagging associated with breast implant removal surgery.

Exactly what your breasts will look like after explantation  depends on several factors such as: the quality of skin elasticity (the better the elasticity the better the skin will bounce back),  the size of the implants used (the larger the implant the more trouble you may have with redundant skin), and the amount of breast tissue present at this time (which may have changed since the time of your breast augmentation). 

Life experience since your breast augmentation procedure, such as pregnancy or weight gain weight loss, will  potentially influence the factors discussed above. If you take these factors into consideration and apply them  to your specific circumstances you may get a good idea of what to expect after the implants are removed.

Consulting with a well experienced board-certified plastic surgeon in person may be helpful.

Best wishes.

By the images you have provided, you would have benefited from a breast lift at the time of your augmentation unless there has been significant change since that time. There is no question that you will have some residual sagginess after removing implants, you just need to decide if it will bother you. Even if you don't have a lift after implant removal, it does not mean you couldn't do it at a later date. I hope this helps.

Dr Edwards

From your photos, it looks like your breasts are a bit low to begin with. Removing more volume may make them sag more after implant removal.