Deflate saline Breast implant before operation to remove. Any suggestions?

In a patient with very thin tissues deflation of the implant before removal with a breast lift lets the tissues shrink up a bit and thicken (no more pressure from the implant). This may make a lift safer. I usually wait about 6- 12 weeks. If you are not considering a lift then you really don't need to deflate before removal.Sometimes I find pre operative deflation when a patient is not sure that she want a lift, or is considering going with a different smaller implant. Deflation can let the patient get a sense how much droop she has, and what size the remaining breast is. With old implants deflate the patient can then look at sizers again and get a sense of size preference when considering a new implant.Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I think this method it not useful at all.  You should have the implants out with the capsule all at once.  For explant surgery, it is almost always best to remove the capsule in its entirety.  This will allow the space to heal.  If you leave the capsule in place, it does not heal.  Fluid can accumulate in the space.  The situation that brings the patient to implant removal will have an affect on the decision.  This is a surgery which requires discussion with the plastic surgeon about the problem, the goals, and the technical concerns.  The body does not re-absorb the capsule.  Revision surgery requires drains because the fluid is going to be generated when you operate on the scar capsule.  If you provide a mechanism for the fluid to be removed (i.e. drains), the risks are lower.  If the fluid accumulates because there were no drains, it will most certainly cause problems in the future.

The time between having the saline implants deflated and removing the shell will be influenced by your reason to deflate them. If you are wanting to see how much the skin retracts to determine if you want a lift then you should wait at least 8-12 weeks. If you are simply wanting them deflated prior to versus during surgery you don't need to wait at all. Visit with your surgeon to find out what is recommended for you.

Hello-Deflating saline implants in the office can be very helpful in cases where you're not sure if you want a lift, or new implants. Deflation allows you to remove the volume from the implant and remove the pressure of the implant pressing on tissues, so you have a better idea of what your breasts are like without implants. Some women then choose to go on with a lift or new implants, while others decide that they feel fine without the implant volume, and therefore just have the implant envelopes removed. I usually wait at least a month between deflation and doing a new procedure.If you're certain that you want your implants out and nothing else done, you can simply have them deflated and removed in the same procedure.Best wishes-

If you just want your implants removed, you might just go ahead with removal instead of deflation first. If you are unsure if you do want implants, the deflation would give you a good idea as to what you can expect after removal. Once deflated, you can probably choose to have the implants removed at any time. If you are undecided about a lift, you might want to give your tissues up to 3 months to see what shrinkage you may get. If your implants are small, you may not see a lot of change.