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Necessary to Replace Breast Implants After Explantation and Lift?

asked 2 years ago by Beth Wilborn
Latest answer by Braden Stridde, MD
Question viewed 1,862 times
Tags: 450-499cc, over muscle

I have had 450cc over the muscle implants for 5 years and have lots of stretched/sagging skin. I'm having implants removed and lift done. My doc said the lift would make me an A cup and I would need to implants to be bigger. So my question is, if breast are this small is an implant necessary? I know it helps w/ cleavage but what how would they look without new implants?

23 answers to Necessary to Replace Breast Implants After Explantation and Lift?

Explantation of Large Implants and Lift

It is difficult to provide specific answers to your questions, but this is generally a difficult problem to address and achieve a nice aesthetic result. This problem usually results from having a larger implant placed over the muscle in an effort to avoid doing a breast lift. This is a poor choice because it inevitably results in gradual thinning and stretching of the tissues, and sagging or descent of the implant, resulting in the so called rock-in-a-sock phenomenon. The correction is... more

Braden Stridde, MD
Federal Way Plastic Surgeon

Explantation and lift is a great procedure if you want smaller breasts

The best breast size for you is a personal decision. I am really not able to accurately predict a patients breast size after implantation and lift, but I can say that removing the implants makes the breasts smaller. So if small breasts are what you want, you do not need to replace the implants. Remember too that if you have the lift and decide later that the breasts are too small, you can have implants put back in. If you are not sure now what you want, waiting to re-implant will... more

Elizabeth Lee, MD
Bay Area Plastic Surgeon

You will be smaller

It is somewhat difficult to say without a picture. In general a lift or mastopexy reduces the saggy/excess skin and reshapes what breast tissue that remains so by the very nature of the procedure your breasts will be smaller. To give the breasts some volume and fullness and implant is often recommended. If you have a lift and decide later that you desire more fullness/volume then implants can be placed later.

Earl Stephenson Jr., MD, DDS
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Whether a woman gets breast implants or not is her choice

I would assume that you got the implants in the first place because you were unhappy with the size of your breasts. If you have these current implants removed, you will likely be slightly smaller than you were before you got them. Implants are never "necessary", but may be beneficial to obtain better cleavage as well as fullness of the upper breast area, providing a more perky breast than a lift alone can provide. Most patients who come to me in your situation, I recommend a... more

Daniel P. Markmann, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

Replacing Breast Implants VS leaving them out - It's a Question of Desired Volume

Getting new implants put in WITH your Lift or choosing to have a Lift without Implants depends on your examination and the breast volume you desire. You must understand that just removing the implants will NOT result in the breasts you had before the augmentation. Those breasts are no longer there. The breasts you have now have more skin envelope and less breast tissue and would likely be smaller more sagging breasts IF nothing is done. A Breast Lift would result in perkier breasts which are... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Reshaping breasts after removal of large implants

Only a surgeon who has personally examined you can give you specific advice, but there are a few general comments that apply. The implants you have are on the large side, and so reshaping the breasts after stretching and sagging is often a bit of a challenge to get a nice shape. If your surgeon has estimated that you will be an A cup then there probably isn't a lot of breast tissue to work with. The majority of patients in you situation will get a better look by downsizing rather than... more

Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Do Breast Implants need to be Exchanged or can they just be removed?

You have said you would be an A-cup following removal of your breast implants, so the question is for you to decide is that enough for you.. I suggest that rather than focusing on bra sizes, that you gather several pictures of breasts of the size and shape that you feel are want you want. Bring the photos with you to your plastic surgeon and discuss your concerns using them as a reference. This will help you to make an informed decision.

Fredrick A. Valauri, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.drvalauri.com

Are implants necessary...

Hi there- Only you can decide whether or not your goals would be met without an implant.. Your breasts would of course be very small, but shapely. If fulness of the breast (if not a larger size) is important to you, you will probably be best served by having implants replaced.

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

Breast lift after explantation and replacement

Your goal regarding cup size is personal. Consider: 1. breast shape and beauty. 2. cleavage and 3. upper pole breast fullness. The lift will: 1. tighten loose skin 2. lift the nipple 3. improve breast shape. You may wish to add a small implant to maintain 1. beauty 2. better.shape and 3. upper pole fullness.

Burr Von Maur, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Breast lift

They will look lifted and small. Exactly how depend on what you have of breast tissue. But expect to be small. If that does not bother you then do it without the implants. On the other hand if you are not sure, do the explant and lift. If you do not like it later then an implant can be put in at a later stage,

Samir Shureih, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

New implants after explantation - yes or no?

From what you describe, you will be much smaller after the implnts are removed. The plan for a mastopexy is wise because the skin and breast tissue are stretched out and will need reshaping. For my own patients who have saline implants and face this dilemma, I offer to puncture the implants and aspirate the fluid a few days before surgery. Then I tape up the breasts to simulate the mastopexy. This gives the patient a preview of the result. If the patient feels that the breasts look too... more

Bruce Genter, MD
Abington Plastic Surgeon

Not necessary, but may give better results

It is incredibly difficult to remove implants and get a result that is one that doesn't leave someone disappointed, either you or your surgeon or both. Traditionally I have down-sizd the implants and performed a skin only mastopexy. Without examining you, I cannot tell if this would be an acceptable method for you.

Robert Whitfield, MD
Milwaukee Plastic Surgeon

Implants after explantation and lift

As you can read from all the expert posters, the answer is a very personal one and also based upon your physical examination. Best of Luck in your decision. From MIAMI Dr. B

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Breast explantation and lifting - need new implants?

If you want to lose the volume of the implants and have a lift done, then you at least have the best breasts you can have given the uniqueness of your own body. If they are too small, then you can have implants put back in or done at the same time if you don't want to be an A cup.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Breast lift with or without implants

SEE VIDEO BELOW: An implant will achieve fullness of the breast above the nipple when used with a breast lift. Foregoing the use of the implant will likely leave you with breasts that lack fullness. see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Choice of implants depends on your desired final size

Your current implants are fairly large so that without them you will probably have a petite breast size. With a well done mastopexy, you should have an acceptable shape, though you will not have fullness in the upper aspects of your breasts. If your goal is to have some fullness in the upper breasts and some cleavage then smaller implants would probably be in order. If you keep the implants in subglandular positions, then the pockets will need to be adjusted to make them fit with the new... more

Michael D. Yates, MD
Huntsville Plastic Surgeon

Lifting without implants

If you already have implants and do not have a lot of native breast tissue, performing an explantation and a lift will more than likely leave you with very little tissue to lift. This is very difficult, you are probably better off having the implants exchanged or made smaller and a lift if the size was too larger for you.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Women who have had implants years ago and need a lift

When you choose to have breast augmentation, one of the things I tell my patients is to pick a size that you like, but can live with as you get older and gain any weight. Often your breast will get bigger. I often see women whom had breast augmentation 15 or 20 years age, they have gained weight, and their breast are bigger and saggier. We often remove the implants, and perform only a lift if they have grown more of their own breast tissue. If their is not much breast tissue, you will... more

Richard Greco, MD
Savannah Plastic Surgeon

A very simple question and answer

You must decide what size breasts you wish to have. If you would be happy with small breasts with a youthful shape,do not replace the implants. If not, and you like more cleavage and fullness, you need to choose what size implants you prefer. It is as simple as that. Good luck.

David Shuter, MD
Jupiter Plastic Surgeon

Removal of breast implants and breast lift in Manhattan.

Hi. We would approach your situation by really understanding the look you want. If you will be happy with small, perky breasts, then you do not need breast implants, certainly not larger ones. An internal vertical breast lift ( Lejour or Hall-Findlay technique ) can give you long term perky shape.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Implant removal

Having your implants removed and a lift performed is a complex procedure that will change the shape and volume of your breasts. You should definitely discuss the surgery in detail with your surgeon and look at before and after photos of other patients who have had implants removed before making a final decision. Are you having implant related issues that is causing you to want them removed after only 5yrs? Any revision surgery has higher risks and I would strongly suggest considering all... more

Bahram Ghaderi, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Implant removal with lift

Having had implants of that size and with signs of stretch marks, your final result may not be what you expected. You will have a moderate amount of loose, stretched skin that will not shrink-wrap. Likewise, the bulk of your natural gland will be compressed to a smaller size and shape. A lift will place the nipple at the proper position on the chest, but despite skin tightening inferiorly, the gland will stay predominantly at the bottom and you will have a flattened upper pole of the... more

Ricardo Izquierdo, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Breast size after removal

There is no question that removing your implants and having a breast lift will make your breasts smaller. You should speak with your plastic surgeon about what your options are and what is your motivation for having them removed. Maybe he/she will have photos they can show you of other patients who had the same procedure. If you still want some breast volume then you should consider removing your implants and replacing them with perhaps smaller implants and then having a lift. Your decision... more