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Saline Breast Implant Reduction

asked 3 years ago by dawn57 in Florida
Latest answer by William Bruno, MD
Question viewed 6,283 times
Tags: saline implants, menopause, reduce, smaller

I have Mentor saline implants filled to 375 CC, the procedure done in 2004. I have been quite happy with my breasts and the implants, but lately, as I approach menopause, I'm wishing for somewhat smaller breasts! Can I have, say, 100 or 150 cc of the saline removed from the implants, or will I need to have complete removal and replacement with smaller implants?

15 answers to Saline Breast Implant Reduction

Best choice is new implants, perhaps with a lift as well

Downsizing your breast size is best achieved with new implants, not removing the fluid from the existing ones. In order to give you the best cosmetic appearance, you may also require a breast lift as well to tighten the pocket of the implant. Another option is a lift alone without any implants, but these options are best discussed with your surgeon so that he can discuss with you the pros and cons of each choice. Simply removing saline from your existing implants, however, is not a good... more

Shahram Salemy, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

A large amount of saline cannot be taken out of implants without problems

This rather a difficult situation and several things need to be considered. In order to remove any saline out of an implant the pocket needs to be reopened and the implant totally removed from the breast , the saline removed and then the implant replaced. This is obviously a surgical procedure and may be more than you want to undertake.That said there is a recommended fill volume for saline implants and underfilling implants can lead to folds which in turn may lead to failure or leakage... more

Susan E. Downey, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Best to start fresh

Hi- Reducing the volume of your existing implants by a noticeable amount would be likely to lead to visible rippling, and would greatly increase the odds of the implants rupturing quickly, as well as introducing the problems outlined by my colleagues. Your best bet is to get a good handle on your goals, then meet with your surgeon and describe them to him. It sounds like you'd be best off removing the existing implants and placing smaller ones, with or without a breast re-shaping procedure... more

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

You'll need new implants and maybe more

It is certainly possible to decrease your implant size but not by deflating your current implants by 100-150ccs. Each implant has a preset minimum volume they need to have in order not to be too wrinkly and have an increased risk of deflation. You would need an entirely new implant filled to its own proper volume. Or you could switch to gel. The implant still needs to have a base width that fits well for your frame and this limits how small you can go without looking like "tennis balls... more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Revision breast surgery

Saline implants should generally not be underinflated. They tend to ripple and fail mechanically if they are underinflated. Simply replacing a large implant with a smaller one can create a deflated, lopsided breast. It is not just an issue of placing a smaller implant in the pocket, which will still be much larger than the incoming smaller implant. If nothing is done to the old pocket, the new implant will simply sit too far down and to the side and the breast will appear deflated. ... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

You cannot remove saline from your existing implants!

Unfortunately, you are unable to remove the saline from your existing implants. You should see a board certified plastic surgeon who is experienced in breast surgery to discuss your options. You have basically three choices: 1) do nothing and accept the implants as they 2) removal of the existing implants with replacement of smaller implants (saline or silicone memory gel), and 3) removal of the existing implants without replacement. Thanks for your question!

Stephen A. Goldstein, MD
Englewood Plastic Surgeon

You will need to switch out your breast implants

Dawn, Unfortunately, to reduce the size of your implants, they will need to be replaced. The implants are not made to modify the fill volume after implantation. Additionally, each implant as a specific fill volume with a narrow range. Reducing your volume will take your implant out of that range. One other consideration when reducing your implant size is the effect on the overlying breast tissue/skin. The larger implant is supporting the overlying breast tissue. If you reduce the volume... more

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant reduction

Unfortunately unless your implant has a port on it (Mentor's Spectrum implants for example) (which are exceedingly rare in cosmetic cases) there is no way to reduce the volume in the implant without replacing the implant. In addition, even if there were a way to take fluid out of the implant safely, implants are designed to have a minimum volume in them and removing 100ccs would most certainly bring the volume below that safe level and predispose the implant to rupture. (Underfilling is a... more

Steven H. Williams, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

Changing size of breast implants

If you currently have 375cc saline implants and would like to end up with 225-275cc you will definitely need new implants as the implants can only be filled to a certain volume. Ex. your 375 cc implant can be filled from 350-375, but it can't be deflated all the way down into the 225-275cc range. Converting from 375cc to 225-275cc could possibly leave you with some excess skin or possibly affect your nipple position. You should be evaluated by a board certified plastic surgeon to... more

William Bruno, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Decreasing the size of an implant.

If you would like to decrease the size of an implant, this will require another surgery. You may be able to keep the same implant if you only want a small amount removed. For example, 25-50 cc, depending on the implant. Implants have a range of saline they need inside in order to maintain their shape. If you go below this range, the implant will collapse on itself. This will depend on the implant you have and how much saline was put in during the initial surgery. Thus, if you want to remove... more

John Diaz, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Saline Implants and Reduction

You can adjust those implants by 50 cc, that is, if they were 325 filled to 375. This is not a significant reduction. In general, I recommend a reduction by at least 100 cc to have a noticeable difference. At times also if you do a significant reduction you may also have to tighten the skin (do a lift-mastopexy). Good luck.

Farbod Esmailian, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Need to maintain a minimal fill volume for the implants

In general, every 175 to 200 cc of implant volume you will go up (or down) a cup size. In most cases to do this would require a new implant otherwise there will be significant wrinkling of the implant.

Jeffrey Zwiren, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

As you get older, excessively large breasts can make you look matronly.

To Dawn57, I understand your concern. Your implants would have to be replaced, but this should be relatively straight forward. If you make your breasts very much smaller, you may want to consider a lift at the same time.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Need new implants

You cannot have removal of fluid from the implants without having problems. Each implant has a minimum amount of fluid that is required to maintain the shape. Underfilling implants can cause stress to the implant capsule and cause them to prematurely rupture. If you want smaller implants you can go to a smaller sized implant but remember, you may need a small lift as the breasts are deflated.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Downsizing a saline breast implant: Important considerations

Saline Breast implants are designed to be semi-permanent implantable devices. They are composed of an outer shell of silicone with an inner fill of normal saline (salt water). In most cases, the skin and breast parenchyma form a sufficient envelope around the breast to produce an aesthetically pleasing breast shape. Breast aesthetics is thus a composite of breast volume, nipple position, skin envelope, contour, and symmetry. Merely reducing the size of an existing implant will thus alter... more