What will my tuberous/hypoplastic breasts look like after implant removal? (Photos)

Question

I had subpectoral breast augmentation performed with 330cc, silicone implants 10 years ago to correct hypoplastic/mildly tuberous breasts. I have never been happy with them, my left implant bottomed out only weeks after the procedure and has caused me some discomfort ever since. Due to BII, I am ready to say goodbye to implants. However, I am afraid of what they will look like post-explant, will they be tuberous/deflated/loose skin? Should I consider fat grafting to provide more fullness?

Eric Wright, MD · Answer

Hi Celebrated 6724, there are numerous variables that determine the appearance after implant removal. It would be reasonable to start with the implant removal only. You have several options following the implant removal if you are unhappy. Fat grafting or some type of skin/breast reshaping (mastopexy) can be performed to help with adding additional volume or smoothing contouring. Discuss your concerns with your plastic surgeon.

Dr. Eric J. Wright

Dr. Eric J. Wright

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Hello, thank you for your question. You will have loose skin, so you may benefit from a breast lift and/or fat transfer to breast. Breast fat transfer is a great tool to balance breasts, improve symmetry, and gain up to one cup size in volume. In general, 200 cc per breast is typically the upper limit of fat injection recommended by most plastic surgeons. It is not that more cannot be injected; but on average, this has been determined to be the most that can be expected to live during one transfer. Multiple transfers would be required for additional cc's. In general, the abdomen and thighs are preferred donor sites but fat from other areas can be used. I recommend you to schedule an email or Skype consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear  Celebrated6724,
it is hard to predict how will your breasts look once you remove implants. You have an option to remove implants and wait some time to see their shape and size and later decide whether you'll have breast lift, fat transfer or other procedure. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Farbod Esmailian, MD · Answer

It is really difficult to say how things will look given that you have had implants for a long time and your body has changed.  The positive here is that your implants are not that big and your skin quality appears to be pretty good.  You would not need a lift but if you have sufficient fat, then removing them and fat transfer would be an ideal procedure.I would recommend you see a board certified plastic surgeon with a great deal of experience in breast surgery.Hope that helps.

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your question and photographs.  You will have some additional skin laxity compared to when you started, but breast tissue does have an amazing "memory" to return to your pre-augmentation shape.  Hope this helps.

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

You will loose most of your volume and have some loose skin. A fat transfer could be helpful to give you some volume if you have donor fat. I would suggest discussing this with your surgeon.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

With explant you will lose the volume the implants have provided and will have some loose skin.  One option is to wait to allow the breasts to fully heal after implant removal.  If you are happy, then you are done!  If not, you can explore other options such as the fat grafting you mentioned.

Lisa F. Schneider, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question!  I can definitely understand your concerns regarding BIL, especially if you haven't been happy with your implants from the beginning.  Your breasts will look different for sure - not only have they been stretched out for 10 years, you're also 10 years older!  Our bodies and our breasts change over time.  I think implant removal followed by fat grafting is one possible option.  If you are concerned, you can always stage the procedures - have the implants removed first and get a sense of what your breasts look like.  This is a very small procedure with minimal downtime.  Then, you can always get the fat grafting later if you would like them to be larger.  The uncomfortable part of the surgery isn't the fat grafting or the breasts - typically the area where we take the fat from (i.e. the liposuction harvest site) can be sore.Hope this helps!Stay well,Dr. Lisa

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