I am going to have my 13 year old saline breast implants removed.

Question

I have been doing a lot of research and was wondering your opinion on having them deflated first and then surgery to remove 3-6 months later. I have seen varying opinions on this but have heard this will help the tissue shrink back easier. I am 45 years old no kids and I am 5"4 109 pounds. I was a full B cup before and am now a full C . I have implants that are 325c size. Are there any risks to having them drained at the doctors office? Thank you

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

When patients are uncomfortable with how the breasts may look after explantation, draining the implants gives them a chance to see how they will look once the skin has contracted.  At that point they can decide if they want further surgery at the same time the drained implants are removed (such as differently sized implants or a lift).  If you are planning to have the implants removed regardless and are not planning further breast surgery there is no need to have them drained first.

Chad Robbins, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  Yes, it is safe to have the saline implants deflated in your Plastic Surgeons office.  It is a good way to see how much tissue will shrink back and if you would need a lift during implant removal surgery.  Make sure he or she is Board Certified in Plastic Surgery.  Good luck!

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Thank you for the question. I think your plan is a good one.. but as you can imagine, it is not possible to give you precise advice without direct examination and a full communication of your goals.

Generally speaking what breasts 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.

Sometimes patients in your situation are pleased with the results of surgery after removal of the breast implants; sometimes patients request breast lifting and/or re-augmentation with smaller breasts implants.

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

Best wishes.

Susan MacLennan, MD · Answer

Hello-Implant deflation can be a helpful tool if you're not sure how you will feel without the extra volume your implants are giving you. If you think you might want to downsize to new implants, or if you think you might want to add some volume with fat instead of implants, it may be helpful to deflate. This helps the implant pocket contract and also gives you a better idea of how much breast tissue you really have. If you're completely sure that you don't want anything else put in, you could go ahead and deflate and remove your saline implants in one sitting- this can usually be done under local anesthesia in the office and is well-tolerated.I hope that helps-

Isaac Starker, MD · Answer

If you are planning on having these saline implants removed and not having either new implants placed or a breast lift performed, there is no advantage to having them deflated in advance.  The skin and breast tissue will not contract better over the 3 month period, although the pocket that the implants are in, probably will.  Since the implant pocket is frequently removed at the same time as the implants are, there isn't much benefit to allowing it to shrink over several months.  However, if you are considering a breast lift, then deflating them either a few days before surgery, or on the day of surgery can help your surgeon plan that operation better.  While no procedure is entirely risk free, if done with proper technique, saline implants can be deflated safely in a doctor's office.  Please make sure that you are seeing an experienced board certified plastic surgeon,

Hilton Becker, MD · Answer

The only reason to remove the saline first is to give you the opportunity to see what your breasts look like without the implants.It will also allow the pocket to contract .You and your surgeon can then better decide on implant replacement,fat grafting and or breast lift

Barry M. Schwartz, MD (retired) · Answer

The reason one would have them deflated in the office is to see what you would look like if you were having them removed and part of your decision is whether to have new implants, etc. Otherwise just take them out.

Robert E. Zaworski, MD (retired) · Answer

My advise would be to have the implants surgically removed.   Your skin will take on the new shape whether you have them deflated or removed.

I am going to have my 13 year old saline breast implants removed.

Answers (8)

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