Breast Implant Removal Q&A

87%

WORTH IT RATING

150 Reviews

Ask a Question

Breast Implant Removalbefore & after photos

View Before and Afters

Average Breast Implant Removal Cost: $3,850

Learn about Breast Implant Removal

778 people and 319 doctors are talking about Breast Implant Removal

Get Free Email Updates

How Many Surgeries Needed for Breast Implant Replacement and Lift?

asked 2 years ago by anon
Latest answer by Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Question viewed 590 times
Tags: nipples, silicone implant, blood supply

I have had silicone implants for 30 years. I have hardening. I want them removed and replaced with a lift. A Dr told me to do this in 2 procedures/surguries because of risk of loss of blood supply to the nipples. What do you think??

20 answers to How Many Surgeries Needed for Breast Implant Replacement and Lift?

Breast implant removal reimplant and mastopexy

Excellent question. Whether it is done in 1 stage or 2 depends on the surgeon's experience ',comfort zone",type and age of implants and patient's age and condition. The type of mastopexy also plays a very important role. I did a single stage proceedure on a pt. with 26 year old implants 3 wks ago who is doing very well. There is no "right" answer.

Barry H. Dolich, MD
Bronx Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant removal (explantation) and lift in two surgeries

Performing a removal and capsulectomy in one operation followed by staged lift of the breast is a reasonable and conservative approach to this problem.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Appropriate timing of breast implant exchange with a lift

Hi there- There really is no absolutely correct answer here... The recommendation you get is going to correlate most strongly with the surgeon's experience and comfort level with these operations. I would disagree with the belief that it is somehow unsafe or wrong to do these procedures together (in fact, I do them together at least once or twice a month), but know that some prefer to separate them.

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

Replacing old gel implants with a lift

The doctor you saw is spot on. There are times when it is safe to proceed with a replacement and lift at the same time, but this can only be determined with a physical exam. The explanation is difficult. I usually draw pictures with this particular conultation type to enhance the patient's understanding of the issues we face. Put simply, if the original surgery was over the muscle the risk of loss of blood supply to the nipple with a mastopexy (breast lift) is high, whether you... more

Clayton L. Moliver, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant hardening

There is usually no reason why you could not do both procedures, removal of implants and an uplift at the same time. You have to be concerned about what type of uplift to do and whether all the scar tissues needs to be removed, whether the implants are broken. Just make sure you realize that it would be a big change to remove implants totally, esp depending on what size you are.

Edward J. Domanskis, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Expect to need a revision

In my practice, this is done in 1 surgery, but there is certainly a higher chance that a revision may be needed. Sometimes this is to better position the implant and sometimes to get the breast shape better. This surgery is very technically challenging and requires someone with a lot of experience with it to avoid major complications. I ask that my patients be very conservative in choosing the implant size as well because it usually involves removing the old implant from on top of the... more

Robert S. Houser, DO
Columbus Plastic Surgeon

Implant exchange and a lift

A breast implant and exchange with a lift can certainly be done at the same time, but there are some doctors who prefer to stage them.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Breast Lift and Augmentation

If you have breast hardening, then you may in fact have a caspula contracture. In that case, a capsulectomy (or removal of the capsule) may be necessary before placement of another implant. If your breast tissue is thin, the surgeon may prefer to do the lift in another stage since the capsulectomy may compromise the blood supply to your breasts to some degree.

Siamak Agha, MD, PhD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Revision breast augmentation and breast lift can be done in one stage.

Hi. Plastic surgery is to a large extent an art, and there seldom is just one right way to do things. And of course I haven't examined you. But the surgeons I know who do a lot of breast surgery replace breast implants and do a breast lift at the same time in most women.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Two stage is safer and more predictable

You should be happy that your surgeon is more concern with the result and your safety than just you signing up for the surgery. Most patients like the combined lift and implant exchange. When a surgeon offers the two stage for implant exchange and lift, there is a strong indication. The result of the surgery depends on the patients condition and surgeons skill.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD
New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant and breast lift

Your surgeon is being very concious about your safety and the results. You will need removal of implant, the position of which we do not know, A capsulectomy and rplacement of implant. follow your plastic surgeon

Samir Shureih, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

Routinely I will augment the breast and lift the breast in a single operation

Realizing that there is a bit more risk in performing breast augmentation and breast lifting in the same operation, I feel it is usually safe if the patient is not a smoker and has good tissue. Other wise the patient needs two different operations and needs two anesthetics and two different recovery times. It is important that the surgeon you choose have a wealth of experience of preforming both breast augmentation and breast lifting together. Make sure you see some of the before and afters... more

Carl W. "Rick" Lentz III, MD
Daytona Beach Plastic Surgeon

Safety first

Your doctor is clearly erring on the side of caution. this is to be commended and should make you feel good about your choice of surgeon. while it is certainly possible to sometimes perform such corrections in one stage, it is never wrong to stage them and you are less likely to run into a bad complication.

Bruce K. Barach, MD
Schenectady Plastic Surgeon

One or two surgeries for implant replacement and lift

This is a complex question that is dependent on the individual patient, the specific situation, and the goals of the surgery. The majority of replacement and lifts can be done simultaneously but there are certainly circumstances where a stage approach might produce a lower risk or more accurate result. The more you change things, the more margin error there is and unless you plan and accept and certain unpredictability of the result you might need to accept the possibility of a... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Number of Operations for Breast Implant Exchange and Lift

Breast augmentation and mastopexy (lift) can be performed in one surgery or in two surgeries. For a primary augmentation, one surgery usually works well. If you have issues with an excising augmentation, such as capsular contracture, then separating the surgery into two times may actually be best. However, the planning of the surgery really needs to be individualized based on your anatomy, skin thickness, blood supply to the tissues, existing implant issues, etc. Good luck. more

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

Breast implant replacement and lift are often combined

Older silicone gel breast implants that have been in place for 30 years tend to become very firm and encapsulated, and will ride upward within the breast. This can give the illusion of drooping or ptosis in the breast which is corrected as the old scar and capsule are removed and the way made to properly position a new implant. Lift or mastopexy is not needed as often as we might think. Still, if the nipple is indeed below the fold and off the lower part of the breast, a lift can be combined... more

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implant Replacement and Lift in one Procedure

Breast lifts and augmentations are done together all the time by experienced surgeons who understand the blood supply and methods available. Capsulectomy (removal of the scar around the implant causing the hardness) does not really disturb the blood supply any more than a primary augmentation. Therefore, breast implant replacement and lift can usually be done safely in one procedure.

Robert T. Buchanan, MD
Highlands Plastic Surgeon

Breast implant replacement and lift

I like this surgeon, he is being very careful and is concerned for your safety. Unless you post photos so we can determine the extend of your deformity, I will defer to your surgeon's judgement. dr. B from MIAMI

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Risks of Combination Breast Implant Removal and Lift

The reluctance of the surgeon to remove the scarred, sagging implants and perform a simultaneous breast lift is understandable. Every operation on the breast involves more scarring and a further degree of loss of blood supply to the skin envelope and nipple complex. In removing old, ruptured breast implants and the scar tissue around them some of the circulation to the breast skin will be disrupted. However, the greatest POTENTIAL disruption in the flow through the breast skin takes place... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Single or two staged lifts with breast augmentation

There are blood flow considerations in this combination of surgeries but carefully done by a surgeon who is well aware of these risks, the operation can usually be done in one stage.